SUKRITI VADHERA KOHLI is an artist whose mission is to encourage people to discover well-being. Here she shares her own experience of being courageous, and how that courage has led to happiness in her family.
Courage comes in all sizes
I have never been a dog or a cat person or, let’s put it this way, an animal person. I have been fearful of dogs owned by my friends and family members, and never once thought of overcoming that fear. The same was true for my husband until our son came into our lives. During the Covid lockdown, his desire to have a pet became stronger than ever. The fortunate or unfortunate part was that this six-year-old never threw a tantrum or insisted; rather, he prayed his way into our hearts.
Every night for two years, Eklavya prayed with all his heart for his
future dog and for his fearful parents to somehow agree. And just when
our hearts began to melt, he expressed his desire to adopt and not buy a
dog.
Completely taken aback, we warned him, “Your dog won’t be as
good looking when he’s no longer a puppy!”
Pat came the reply,
“Mom, dad, looks don’t matter!”
I think that was our final melting
point. Just like that, our hearts changed, and we adopted an Indie
puppy. Tintin is now a happy, naughty, seven-month-old pup, and very
much a part of our family. This experience teaches me every day
that happiness requires courage, sometimes in small doses, and other
times in large quantities.
Courage is not the opposite of fear
Anyone living with fear can tell you how unhappy they feel. In order to truly become happy, we have to break the shackles of fear. Mental courage is the willingness to steel our minds and hearts to try something difficult, knowing that the outcome is uncertain, yet still being willing to continue in the hope that it will get better. Just like the old me, a lot of people associate courage with lion-heartedness, and if they are fearful, they assume that they’re not courageous. But this thinking is mistaken. Courage is not the lack of fear. If courage were simply fearlessness, then all serial killers are probably more courageous than most of us. Nelson Mandela once said, “I learned that courage was not the absence of fear, but the triumph over it. The brave man is not he who does not feel afraid, but he who conquers that fear.”
I have an honest confession to make – I am afraid of our puppy most of the time, but somehow find the courage when I need to put my hand inside his mouth to remove toys and other objects.
Where to find courage?
Just like hope and compassion, courage lies within us at all times. We might have to dig deep, but it does exist. How do we access it?
To begin
- Believe in yourself more than your fears.
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The next and crucial thing is to take that first step.
Try this small exercise: for a month, try and say yes to the opportunities that look scary and then watch how you respond. You will be surprised.
- Bravely overcoming one small fear gives you the courage to take on the next one.
Lead a happier life
Taking that step of saying yes to Eklavya has benefited me in more ways than one:
We were able to set an example for our son.
Choosing courage equipped us with the ability to empower him to do the same.
Being courageous in the midst of fear honed our character, making us stronger.
Embracing courage increased our sense of happiness. We have had so many happy moments with Tintin.
To sum it up, courage is the willingness to move forward, despite the fear, worry, and anxiety that might be threatening to overwhelm us.
One of the best ways to be courageous is to face fear head-on but refuse to allow it to paralyze you. If you let it, fear has the power to stop you from being happy, moving forward, taking risks, or even owning a dog! Learn to become courageous so that you can live a regret-free, happy life and show others that it’s possible to do the same.
Art by SUKRITI VADHERA KOHLI
Sukriti Vadhera Kohli
