Be With Courage in Dark Times
By Lisa Templeton
Published in May 2020 Luminous Wisdom: Sibella Magazine
In a moment, our world has completely changed. We are all currently living through a period of major transformation full of grief and sorrow, as well as beauty and balance. In this time of uncertainty and fear, great courage is needed. The courage to face each incredibly difficult, tentative, and intensely emotional moment with kindness, compassion, present awareness, and patience.
Courage can be described as having the mental strength to persevere and withstand danger, fear, or difficulty in the face of pain and grief. During these times, we must remember our resilience and strength. In so doing, we evoke courage. As each and every one of us faces this crisis in a variety of ways, we begin to learn what we are all really made of.
The world has drastically changed since the last article I wrote for March. Many are losing their lives, loved ones, and freedoms that we may have had a tendency to take for granted in the past. I find as I write this that I am sorrowful with an aching heart. At times, fear lingers through my mind, swirling in uncertainty. I call on courage daily to guide me.
Courage involves identifying and facing our fearful thoughts and sitting compassionately with this uncertainty. Then, and only then, can we gently come back to the present moment, the only place where life really happens. The virus is teaching that we must have the courage to move forward taking whatever steps we can in order to care for each other and ourselves with loving kindness.
To those on the frontlines of this crisis all over the world, you are brave and courageous soldiers. I am grateful to be the recipient of food still being harvested by farmers, truckers driving food to stores, grocery store workers tirelessly stocking and restocking the shelves. Warehouse workers continuing to distribute essential goods. I am so thankful to the healthcare workers, doctors, and nurses caring for us during our time of need. They are what courage is made of.
And yet, there is an unfathomable courage within all of us, even those who are sheltering-in-place to protect their communities. This is the courage to transform, the courage to surrender to the moment, and the courage to trust that we can all endure this pandemic with the support of each other, one moment at a time.
Don’t underestimate your ability to work through difficult periods. Your ancestors have carried this resilience and strength to you in your DNA from their own challenging situations. Each of us have been prepared in the course of our lives for this moment. We must be with courage and take an evolutionary step forward in healing ourselves and our world.