Tuesday, August 9, 2016

Courage by Christine Bush


Courage.. 

When was the last time you were brave?

Life can be downright scary.  This includes the big things, as well as the small things.
 
There are lots of big things I have faced that have taken bravery. 

Facing aging and a health issue.
Moving to a new place, and starting over.
Starting a new job.
Losing someone and dealing with grief.
Going back to school.
Being a parent.
Taking care of aging parents.
Starting a new relationship.
 
But daily doses of courage are needed, too.

Like saying no when the schedule is too full.
Initiating a tough conversation to clear the air.
Daring to listen to someone whose ideas and lifestyle are different.

 And like the one I faced today, as a writer:
Looking at that blank page one of a new manuscript, and having to courage to begin. I love to write about courageous heroines, feisty individuals who face life, love, and conflict with panache.

But I have voices in my head that make me feel less than feisty sometimes, despite the many books I’ve written.

“I  can’t do it again.”
“The market’s too tough.”
“It takes too  much time.”
“No one will like it.” 

I find it takes super hero courage to talk back to that negative voice. 

One day, years ago, when I was facing a lot of change and self doubt in many areas of life (including my writing), a supportive friend reminded me how many new things I had tackled. 

“You need to trust yourself again. Try something totally daring and new,” she said. “What’s the scariest thing you can imagine yourself doing?”
 
 
I closed my eyes.  “Flying a plane.  Believing in myself enough to learn to soar though the air, defying gravity.” 

So I did.  I took a series of flying lessons in a Cessna 170. I studied the flight book on the ground and learned to work the controls on the instrument panel in the sky, alongside a hard nosed flight instructor. I soared. It was terrifying. It was exhilarating. 
 
It proved something to me.  I am strong and smart and competent enough to learn whatever I set my mind to. Trust myself.  Theory, skills, practice… soar. 

The experience helped me find my courage in many, many life challenges.  Big and small. 

Today, it helped me write page one.  I can do this.
 
How about you?  What do you need courage to do?  How do you find it?

 
Christine Bush is the award winning author of many books and novellas of sweet romance and light mystery. She also writes Middle Grade Fiction. When she isn’t writing, she can be found working with clients as a Marriage and Family Therapist in private practice, or teaching Psychology at a local college.  She lives with her family and two crazy cats in northeastern Pennsylvania, and loves to hear from readers and aspiring writers.

               

 

 

 

 

 

2 comments:

  1. Wow, Christine! You are incredibly brave! And I agree - it takes a lot of courage and strength to hush those negative voices. Cheering you on! :)

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  2. I think what I needed the most courage for was leaving my long-time financial writing career to write romance fiction full-time. I'm not sure where I got it from.

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