Courageously Unfolding
Inspired by Chalkboard’s One-Line Prompt “Courage”
Courage is showing up for school the day after my parents told me they were divorcing.
Courage is moving to a new country, and getting glasses, and braces, in addition to realizing every girl parts their hair on the side while I still parted mine in the middle, all on the very first week of 8th grade.
Courage is waiting to have sex, until I really felt ready, and with the right person.
Courage is going to University across the country.
Courage is being attacked and dragged into some tall bushes and stranger raped, 1/2 way into a semester studying in Spain, and refusing to allow him to take this away from me; deciding to remain abroad to see my experience through, because that asshole didn’t deserve one more second of my life.
Courage is moving for my job, 3 times.
Courage is saying “I do.”
Courage is going to hospital to birth my babies. Three times.
Courage is loving on my first born, driving 35 minutes each way to the hospital to home to the hospital and back again attempting some form of rest, while pumping my breast milk, each side, every two hours, 24 hours a day; while my days old infant boy rests in the (NICU) Neo-Natal Unit, waiting for heart surgery.
Courage is saying “NOT THIS” when something in my life isn’t working.
Courage is self-awareness.
Courage is holding space for myself, to allow all of my emotions wash heavily over me as I coped with learning that my husband had a fake job, a drug problem, a money problem, a boozing problem, and a serious affair with a married women with 4 kids.
Courages is screaming.
Courage is not holding back.
Courage is moving one foot in front of the other, even when my legs feel like 1000 pounds of lead.
Courage is falling down crying, snot and all, for weeks and weeks.
Courage is showing up for kids.
Courage is making the hardest decision of my life, to divorce, and following through.
Courage is not partaking in gossip or judging when everyone else is.
Courage is making the best effort I possibly can to have the healthiest co-parenting relationship I possibly can.
Courage is setting an example.
Courage is healing, and learning that I can only fix myself.
Courage is changing ones ways- learning that emotionally texting anyone serves no-one.
Courage is showing up for myself by doing the work. Hard Hard Hard work. Therapy. Self-awareness. Self-love. Self-Care.
Courage is getting out of my comfort zone.
Courage is listening to my heart.
Courage is not giving a fuck.
Courage is standing up for myself with my boss, sharing my truth.
Courage is walking away from people and situations that don’t serve me.
Courage is honoring the fact that I am in the driver’s seat, and that I can flip the script at any time, for any reason, without apology.
Courage is staying out of people’s business and people’s problems, when they have nothing to do with me.
Courage is traveling alone, dining alone, walking alone.
Courage is admitting to myself anytime it hits me Not This.
Courage is falling in love with myself.
Courage is surrender.
Courage is showing up for work, for putting my best foot forward, for learning stuff that doesn’t interest me, so that I can provide for my family. Courage is doing it, because no one else is going to.
Courage is saying no to things that don’t serve me and yes to things that do, even if it’s really, really hard.
Courage is trusting the universe.
Courage is parenting.
Courage is opening myself up to creativity.
Courage is walking out of denial.
Courage is loving so fiercely, without fear.
Courage is picking up a pen for the very first time.
Courage is loving myself and my life, with unconditional abundance.
Courage is clicking on the green word “publish”, for the very first time.
Courage is setting boundaries.
Courage is making immediate decisions, solely based on intuition.
Courage is showing up, for myself, every. damn. day.
Courage is speaking my truth and encouraging others to do the same.
Courage is awareness.
Courage is living in Eckhart Tolle moments.
Courage is moving with presence.
Courage is doing something I feel is absolutely impossible, but doing it anyway.
Courage is clearness.
Courage is riding emotional tidal waves, and embracing it.
Courage is exposing myself at my core, lying naked on the page.
Courage is trusting people.
Courage is believing.
Courage is listening for messages.
Courage is being open to the law of attraction, courage is being open to receive, courage is the act of receiving.
Courage is aligning myself with the universe, making adjustments as necessary.
Courage is being CEO of my life.
Courage is authenticity.
With thanks to Dewi and Kathy Jacobs
Breath Fiercely 💃
Readers, It would mean so much to me if this resonated that you would be so kind as to provide me some 👏 so that my piece is circulated. Everyone reads something at the exact moment they are supposed to. This, I know. This, I trust. You all inspire me each day with your courageous words. Gracias!
