Courage

Courage doesn't always roar.  Sometimes courage is the quiet voice at the end of the day saying, 'I will try again tomorrow.'

- Mary Anne Radmacher

When I first came across this quote written on a coffee mug several years ago, I knew I had to have it for no other reason than it spoke to every sense of my being.

In the past, I've shared this gem of a quote with many of my clients but have recently needed to remind myself of the wisdom held in these 22 brief words.  Since my book has gone live, I've been very fortunate in having the opportunity to speak with many more people than ever before.   A common comment that is often spoken to me conveys people's perceptions of my courage in having written and published a book highlighting the intimate details of my past experience with sexual abuse.

Though I do give myself credit and recognize my accomplishments as well as my courage, I feel it's important to note that I am just like everyone else.  Some days, my level of courage is exactly that written in the above quote.  If others decide to view me as a role model, I want them to do so with an accurate perception and a realistic knowledge of who I am.  In this way, they can know that if they choose to become inspired, they can set an accurate, attainable goal without comparing their success to some incorrect definition of what courage is perceived to be.

I'd like to share Mary Anne's link that I just stumbled upon.  Though I've not had a chance to peruse in depth, I wanted to pass it along and allow you to decide for yourself.

http://www.maryanneradmacher.com/cgi-bin/plugins/MivaEmpresas/miva?plugins/MivaMerchants/merchant.mvc+Screen=SFNT&Store_Code=WG