Summer Blessings: Courage

Enjoy this practice as a stand-alone experience or as the sixth of an eight-day series of blessings inspired by Br. David's book "99 Blessings: An Invitation to Life."

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SOURCE OF ALL BLESSINGS,

you bless us with courage —
yes, the rare outstanding courage
of rescue works, martyrs,
mountaineers, and pioneers on the
forefront of thought and service,
but even more so the valor
of all who bear up under ordinary
hardship and the daily grind of
repetition, dead tired, yet with
a smile. May I remember their
unself-conscious gallantry and
imitate their brave kindness.

Sense how it feels to honor courage as it humbles and inspires us. When we allow ourselves to connect with boldness and simple stamina, we venture into new territory and experience freshly-revealed vistas with curiosity and heart.

“May this patchwork quilt of blessings help to sharpen your taste for the gift of life in its innumerable facets,” Br. David writes. “May you grow ever more blessed, ever more able to bless.”

Should you be inspired, please leave a reflection below…

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Br. David Steindl-Rast, OSB

Brother David Steindl-Rast — author, scholar, and Benedictine monk — is beloved the world over for his enduring message about gratefulness as the true source of lasting happiness. Known to many as the “grandfather of gratitude,” Br. David has been a source of inspiration and spiritual friendship to countless leaders and luminaries around the world including Desmond Tutu, the Dalai Lama, Thich Nhat Hanh, Thomas Merton, and more. He has been one of the most important figures in the modern interfaith dialogue movement, and has taught with thought-leaders such as Eckhart Tolle, Jack Kornfield, and Roshi Joan Halifax. His wisdom has been featured in recent interviews with Oprah Winfrey, Krista Tippett, and Tami Simon and his TED talk has been viewed almost 10,000,000 times. Learn more about Br. David here.

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Mary Jebara

Yes. I am often feeling dead tired. I just try to bring kindness into all situations. Perhaps that takes courage.

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Yes. I am often feeling dead tired. I just try to bring kindness into all situations. Perhaps that takes courage.

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Kathleen

“Courage to change the things I can”. Which is only myself. I pray for insight today that I may be given the grace to change.

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"Courage to change the things I can". Which is only myself. I pray for insight today that I may be given the grace to change.

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Judithh

It has taken me many years to realize my fearfulness. What I acted upon was fear stronger than the alternative – it was not courage. Now I tiptoe toward being courageous.

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It has taken me many years to realize my fearfulness. What I acted upon was fear stronger than the alternative - it was not courage. Now I tiptoe toward being courageous.

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Pilgrim

I hold this word, courage, or bravery, in front of me often, because I so want it to fit. I think I’m trying to find it, or see how it fits, in my life of aging and retirement. I see glimpses in my past years, when I have lived through or supported others during “ordinary struggles.” But I am in new territory now, creating my days from scratch, so to speak, dealing with limitations and challenges. I think of young Lucy in The Lion,The Witch and the Wardrobe, putting on her brave face and stepping into the unknown, saying to her big brother, “I THINK I can be brave.” So courage is an invitation in every stage of life, and in a good many moments of every day. Or in my life, anyway. To live the life I have been given is the open invitation. I THINK I can be brave 🙂

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I hold this word, courage, or bravery, in front of me often, because I so want it to fit. I think I'm trying to find it, or see how it fits, in my life of aging and retirement. I see glimpses in my past years, when I have lived through or supported others during "ordinary struggles." But I am in new territory now, creating my days from scratch, so to speak, dealing with limitations and challenges. I think of young Lucy in The Lion,The Witch and the Wardrobe, putting on her brave face and stepping into the unknown, saying to her big brother, "I THINK I can be brave." So courage is an invitation in every stage of life, and in a good many moments of every day. Or in my life, anyway. To live the life I have been given is the open invitation. I THINK I can be brave :)

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1. Diane
  
  Dear Pilgrim…you are a strong, brave, courageous and compassionate woman and I am so grateful to call you my friend. We share this journey through aging and retirement and I feel blessed to travel with you through it.
  ~Blessings
  
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  Dear Pilgrim...you are a strong, brave, courageous and compassionate woman and I am so grateful to call you my friend. We share this journey through aging and retirement and I feel blessed to travel with you through it. ~Blessings
  
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  1. Pilgrim
    
    I am honored by your words and your kindness, my friend. Thank you.
    
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    I am honored by your words and your kindness, my friend. Thank you.
    
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Summer Blessings: Courage

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