"Am I courageous" ?

Life is like a .....hmmm cliche

...no more bakwaas, straight to the point.....

This happened during one of my training workshops at an Institute, with all wisdom packed in bag ( what else a few slides, videos, activity packs and self in a suit..... taliyaannnn 😈😈)  I went to deliver a workshop....on a windy morning..

The session was pacing just about fine and then during the break a young girl approached and asked ....."What is courage?"

Violaaa......I started "After a few pleasantries, I started shooting "....I started giving her description of courage (read gyan) and some examples of courageous people. I told her about the great heroes of history such as Abhimanyu, Shivaji,Hiuen Tsang (cant get these Chinese spellings right), Jhansi Ki Rani, and some from recent memory such as Jessica Lal's sister (keep forgetting her name) and of course the stunning Meryl Streep who was absolutely blunt in registering her protest at what happened in the US a few moons back. I realized that I wasn't really connecting. And how could I?

• "Is there a problem that you are facing?" I asked her.
• "No, no problem. I am just trying to decide if it is alright to keep quiet when I am concerned about something
• "Why would you keep quiet?"
• "I think I am afraid"
• "Well, that's reasonable."
• "No, it's not.
• "Is there anything that bothers you at work say colleagues, profile ?"
• "Well....."

She thought about it for a few seconds and then she said: "It's not really about others - is it? It's about me, about what I know to be the right path."

• I was listening..."It's the fear of disapproval. Courage then is a belief in your convictions and following them whether you are alone or not."
• I looked at her. She was about 21-22 and much more courageous and wiser than I had ever been at her age.
• "Thanks a lot! Without your guidance, I wouldn't have found the answer."
• I looked at her all astonished with a wide grin (वही trainerवाला) and bumbled/fumbled/mumbled "you have found the answer", but she was already on her way.

That was a few weeks ago. I have been chewing on that conversation and looking around me and examining myself. She is right. The fear is within us…as is courage. I guess fear comes from decisions or rather...wait. Let me think this through and I will come back with more on this later.

• Can we get rid of "सबसे बड़ा रोग क्या कहेंगे लोग ?"
• May be that's what courage is all about…….over to you…
• As I write this, we are a month away from the break of new year...."Happy New Year"

Cheers!

Girish