Strength + Courage
Strength and courage go together because when you have strength you gain courage and when you are courageous you become stronger.
I am a person with inner strength. When I know what I want I go out and I get it. But when I was weak, so was my strength and courage. As my inner truth was revealed I gained courage, and with every ounce of courage I gained a little bit of strength. Some days tested my courage and strength and some days depleted it, but by continually connecting back to my inner voice I was able to keep moving forward on my path.
On my darkest days I would recite this personal mantra:
I am strong. I will find peace. I will be true.
Saying this out loud grounded me, calmed me and kept me moving forward.
Being strong and courageous is also strategic. There were people in my life that made me feel weak and meek. But that was my issue because I allowed myself to be weak and meek. I knew I needed to find my voice, to literally speak up for myself and voice my opinion. Be heard. For me, it was about saying less and holding strong.
I hated the fact that I allowed myself to be powered over so I came up with a few statements that worked very well for me. “I’d rather not,” and “I wished I could, ” became my answers. So simple yet so powerful!
Whenever I felt pressured or bullied I would simply respond with one of these statements then wouldn’t say another word. The silence was uncomfortable but it worked! There is little somebody can say after hearing a statement like that. They are polite words, yet very strong words and they allowed me to stand my ground and do what was right for me. This was a breakthrough for me. It was strength in voice and opinion and it was exactly what I needed.
I discovered that courage is learning how to stand up for yourself, your wants, your needs, and your desires. And strength is the fuel for courage. Be strong and find the courage to protect and portray the most perfect expression you.