"Courage"

So this little girl, about 4 years of age, almost drowned in a swimming pool. No doubt, she soon found herself living with a great fear of deep water. Then a beautiful thing happened later in her life as she started training in martial arts, and went on to become a black belt.

One day in her twenties, she sat by the pool and wondered why after swimming lessons, winning martial arts tournaments and all the other fearless things she had accomplished…why could she still not jump in the pool? Then, just like that, she went over to the deep end of the pool and jumped in! Within seconds she broke through the water and took a deep breath. No doubt that was the scariest few seconds under water she had ever come to experience, but she found the courage, and she did it.

In case you haven’t figured it out, this girl is me. And to this day I don’t care to swim in deepwater, but I now know that I can if I have to. Courage is an interesting word. It takes courage to step in, step up or step out of our deepest fears. I’ve also come to discover that courage comes a lot easier if you are challenged by it.

Maybe that’s the difference between a martial arts student that sticks with their training, and the countless many others who quit. It’s the challenge that one either accepts or walks away from. But for those of us who have accepted the challenge of conquering the scary things of the unknown, we have also discovered a great secret to success. We have discovered that the most meaningful things in life take courage.

For instance, I for one, am nothing without my faith. But faith takes courage. Faith  isn’t a settlement, it's an action word, and that means that I often find myself jumping in the deep end of that pool too. Believing that everything is going to be okay when it doesn't seem like it takes courage! Trust takes more courage than anything I personally have ever had to work at, but I have accepted the challenge of trust many times. Sometimes man will let you down, but I have known God to be faithful.

Yes, faith takes courage. Trust takes courage. Hope takes courage. Love takes courage, and even happiness takes courage. Making up your mind that nothing or no one is going to steal your joy is a very courageous act that involves the deepest level of self care. Courage is action, courage is work! 

Sometimes you just have to get up and jump in the deep end of the pool to master your deepest fears.

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Karen Eden is a 7th degree grandmaster in the art of Tang Soo Do. She is also a publishedbook author and Broadcast journalist who has appeared on CNN and FOX National. MasterKaren has been featured in over 300 karate magazines. She currently has 5 books out. You can contact her at renedenherdman@gmail.com

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