Marshal Courage   (Part 1)                                           (go to Part 2)
--Believe in Your Right to Make Mistakes

At the end of The Wizard of Oz, the Cowardly Lion is awarded a
medal for his bravery in vanquishing the Wicked Witch of the West.  
For that matter, Dorothy, the Scarecrow and the Tinman also
showed courage following that crazy yellow brick road in their
searches for a home, a head and a heart.  As children we were
taught "there's no place like home.”  Which is a nice way of saying:
you won't ever know what you’re made of until you've been through
hell, far away from the comfort of your Kansas farmhouse.              

As a teacher, there is nothing more distressing to me than a room
full of silent students.  Where everyone is afraid of raising their
hands and giving answers.  Afraid of making a mistake in front of
the class.  The sad reality is the fear of being laughed at, or
ridiculed, or even harmed, can pervade every environment we
inhabit.  At work, we’re on the lookout for the evil boss.  For some of
us, home is a nightmarish place of loneliness or abuse.  And there
always seems to be something on the news that makes us afraid
to venture outside.  

Fear is a learned behavior that can only be unlearned by asserting
your right to live in environments where it’s OK to be heard and be
human.  The only people who don’t make mistakes are the ones
who aren't trying hard enough.  The pianist who at the age of four
can play Mary Had a Little Lamb will not be receiving any standing
ovations for playing that same piece to perfection twenty-five years
later.  There’s a wide difference between the mistakes that result
from not caring and the ones that result from effort.  A smart person
understands this, and will forgive the latter.

We have many examples of courage to inform our daily lives.  
Firemen and police officers coming to the rescue.  Soldiers fighting
for freedom.  Orphaned children who rise to fame and fortune.  
Battered spouses who take back their lives.  Terminal patients with
a smile on their faces.  What they all have in common is their
refusal to yield.  They teach us that we can't afford to be afraid of
the people and situations we encounter on a daily basis.

In the times you find yourself vulnerable on a path you've never
been down before, find the strength to take those steps.  If you can't
do it alone, find a friend, or two or three, to go the distance with you.  
It’s impossible to marshal courage if you're not facing your fear.  
The quicker we act to remove fear from our lives, the sooner we get
on with living our lives.

What can I do to remove fear?
Lesson 2   Marshal Courage
--Believe in Your Right to Make
Mistakes