Actually I intend to get a full 8 hours of sleep each and every night in Oklahoma this year.

Guess it's a bunch of lonely nights for me :( Unless I drag you out of bed by one foot like the ghost in "paranormal activity." We'll see who sleeps then!!!!! hgahahahahahaha

hahahahaha devin lets be real...the retreat is AMAZING, but it's no insomniac miracle worker LOL

I'll be up with you...don'tchu worry.

thats better

Ok, I'm off the computer for about 2 days and miss like 80 posts!

On the question that was posed about morality and religion (I think) - I don't think that morality and religion are always linked. I know several people who are not religious in any way, and are moral (and courageous) people. In addition, I know people who are very religious, but are not moral. For example, the guy who raped me was the son of a minister. He attended church 3-4 weeks a month. I would consider him religious, but at least in respect to his act against me, was not a moral person.
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"Hmm...this brings up a new conundrum: what happens when you feel courageous, and desire to exercise your courage, but don't know where to carry it? "

That's a great question. One I've found myself pondering lately. I don't really have an answer for it yet. If anyone else does I'd love to hear it!

mmmm matt good question.

"Hmm...this brings up a new conundrum: what happens when you feel courageous, and desire to exercise your courage, but don't know where to carry it"?

I can only answer from my own perspective it was a process of filtering all of the infomation available. Asking myself questions about the labels I had attached to different emotions. Are emotions positive OR negative or are the blameless events that just are.

This wascrucial for me to understand. Emotions go beyond labels so when I could see that being afraid was nothing more than an emotional response to a situation or an experience I was more able to find the courage to move through the fear that had stopped me. Do I like being afraid? no not much, I guess courage has shown me that in reality i am more afraid of fear itself (understandable given rape as a circumstance). However when I feel afraid now it is easier to stay with it and work through it otherwise the feelings have nowhere to go.

You know, I've realized that I have more courage when it comes to defending someone else, than defending myself. When I'm attacked, I get confused, scared, I say stupid things. When it's someone else, I can muster better skill and bravery. And oh, has this worked to my disadvantage!

Addendum: a woman from the UK just signed up for the retreat. Nervous as can be. But she mustered up the courage to do it!

Wow!

How COOL!!!!

Can't wait to meet her....She's going to love it here:)

I feel the need to add to this thread. I am wondering if having courage in other areas in your life gives yourself courage to do other things that otherwise seem daunting?

I lately seem closer to taking the leap of that retreat. I have a few more things that I need to do for me before I can sign up, etc.

However, I was thinking about this, this morning. What was changed for me lately?

1) In my work, I am getting ready to embark on this new phase of my education advocacy. We are organizing people from across to conduct a review of some educational material (many of these people have never met) and to deliver those recommendations to some important people. We get one shot at really doing this right. We have been advocating for this opportunity and it is about to happen among other things.

Although, focused on the task at hand. I believe that there is some courage to do this. There are other things that are happening around this as well which require courage.

2) I just made (I think) a new leap in therapy with regards to trust. I think that I going to a place where I am trusting my therapist at a new level. That really took courage for me; it took months and months. I am not done with that discussion with her.

3) I embarked on doing some things for me that make me feel good and required courage in the past. I signed up to do a triathlon this summer. When I did this two years ago, it took a lot of courage because I did not know how to swim. I guess that I can look at that and see where courage took me.

So.. sorry to go on about all of these things. I was wondering what was really giving me the ability to almost get to the point to sign up for that retreat? I am wondering if courage elsewhere in your life rubs off and gives you courage to take that proverbial leap in other areas? Thoughts?? Experiences??

For me, absolutely. Courage and successful risk taking in one area of my life gives me courage in others. But I think it works that way most often when I'm actively working on myself. Maybe the different parts of my psyche are in better communication with one another? Otherwise, I think courage doesn't generalize from one part of my life to another so easily. Maybe because when I'm not working on myself I tend to compartmentalize more?

I read a biography many years ago and the woman ... show business and then producer ... mentioned how she made one little act and that one little act then grew into a bigger ability.

I do believe that if you do one thing courageously it might very well lead to others.

For me I was probable at one of the lowest points ... nothing was working... it's when I walked by the ocean and picked up part of a shell thought to myself wouldn't this make a great little incense burner...put some beads around the edge and it's got little legs to stand on. Well as what was happening in all areas of my life as soon as I had the thought I felt my brain rejecting and threw it back into the ocean. Then I realized this was wrong that I wasn't acting that I wasn't honoring my inside thoughts by creating them and manifesting them. I went back and got that little part of the shell... took it home and followed through. It was so small of a seeming of an act but my life changed and I was able to follow though with more and more inward and active mutually connected acts.

So yes I think we strengthen ourselves and pathways by each courageous thing we do.

I'm kinda sure I am going to go to retreat but haven't gotten to the point of booking.

This has turned into a monster topic :)

I was just thinking that maybe courage is like the domino effect - the more you show it the more it happens ie the easier it gets.

I think that would be true if your courage is rewarded, or you're able to turn a negative outcome into a positive. I have one memory of courage back when I was little...if you dont mind me sharing

I used to play the violin and aged 10 me and my fellow players had an impromptu performance thrusted on us. Standing on that stage, we were all white as a sheet but we played. Im proud that I didnt let any mistakes stop me playing :) (first rule of performance!). After we had finished my anxiety got the best of me and I threw up.

However, in the following years every time I felt nervous about a performance (every time), I would look back on the the time I managed to perform despite being, literally, sick with nerves. So it was easier to go out onto the stage.

That logic then spread to areas of public speaking and different forms of performance. I am innately shy and tend to speak very quietly. But get me on a platform and that courage brings out someone who looks like they are always there :)