"Life shrinks or expands in proportion to one's courage."--Anais Nin
Tuesday, June 30, 2009 - CHALLENGES
[CHALLENGE: LIFE’S BIG LISTS]
Sometimes, I’m courageous without even knowing it; other times, I’ve had to work to muster it up. But without exception, courage pays off—whether it’s monumental in scope like Rosa Parks’ or a little less grandiose but just as life-expanding. Here are my finest courageous moments:
1. Went to college in a city 700 miles from the farm on which I grew up, knowing no one and nothing about Nashville.
3. Left the near-guarantee of a soul-crushing career to work in a coffeehouse. It was there I met the love of my life.
2. Said, “I need help.”
4. After months of almost doing it, finally standing on the edge of the dock at camp and diving in headfirst. So. much. fun.
5. He said, “Will you marry me?” I said, “Yes.”
List five times you have shown courage.
:: bravely admitted by @meggo
1. Admitted out-loud that I wasn't happy and found help.
2. Stuck up for myself.
3. Quit my unfair job at Walmart so I could make better grades in school, and started working at a less-paid, less-hours job at the local bookstore/coffeeshop. I'm much happier.
4.Understanding/Tolerating my grandfather's way of coping with Viet Nam when no one else does.
5. Finally realizing that my health depended on me, and taking action.
1. Faced my fear of helicopters and military jets by going to an air show.
2. Walked through the doors of my highschool on the first day of freshman year.
3. Went for a walk with a complete stranger.
4. Decided I didn't need those people anymore and tried making new friends.
5. Enrolled in a dance class, got there and realized I was the only one who didn't know what they were doing, and despite feeling awkward and out of place, stuck it out anyway.
1. Left my hometown, family and boyfriend and moved 2000 miles away to follow my artistic dreams.
2. Realized that those artistic dreams had been instilled in me by my mother and that they were her dreams not mine and stopped.
3. Found my own talent was working with tiny kiddos and quit my job to apprentice at a Montessori school.
4. Married the nicest man I've ever met after very little time, knowing that I didn't want to be married, but I did want to be with him forever.
5. Confronted my illness and accepted that I might die much sooner than I had ever thought.
Getting married.
Getting divorced.
After five years of school and a degree in Law decided to look for the place I fit in the most: Advertising.
Telling my mother I don't want her life without hurting her feelings.
Standing up for myself in every occasion, no exceptions.
1. Disclosed sexual abuse.
2. Decided to keep my baby and raise him without child support.
3. Joined a rugby team.
4. Touched a snake.
5. Said NO.
@karenraab Thank you so much! I don't usually get encouragement, I get a lot of weird looks! Haha. I hope that it's a really special gift for my husband, whoever he may be!
1. dealing with my parents' divorce.
2. going to a new church.
3. asking for help.
4. deciding to take Taekwondo.
5. house-sitting for my dad.
1. Finally coming out to my father after 3yrs of living in fear of him dis-owning me because of me being a lesbian.
2.at13: started MMA(mixed martial arts) cage fighting showing no fear at my competition which happend to be boys.
3. To start a wonderful realtionship with the woman of my dreams after a horriable break up before we got together
4. Standing up for my rights and other LGBT students rights at my school after i was expelled
5. Living my life and not a phoney life like i was for 5yrs
Inevitably lame compared to many of the other brilliant stories here, but hey I'm an upper-middle class college guy.
1. Taking organic chemistry after getting the first C of my life in general chem.
2. Choosing (and not for religious reasons) not to drink in my freshman year.
3. Asking, and not caring that I failed dismally, a girl for high school prom.
4. Making peace with the idea of going to school in a state I had been trying to escape for years.
5. Mobilizing friends, handing out fliers, and giving speeches to campaign for college student government...and winning.
- LIFE's BIG QUESTIONS
- ATTACK A CHALLENGE
1. Moved back home
2. Looked for the monster in the closet
3. Understanding my body does not control me
4. Asked the boy
5. Walked into the dark. Alone.