Do Brave Deeds and Endure
“Life shrinks or expands in proportion to one’s courage.” — Anais Nin
I do not have any tattoos…
However, if I were going to get one…
It would have to meet certain criteria…
It would have to be a symbol of strength…
It would have to tell an inspiring story…
And, it would have to be unforgettable…
Something like this…
Fac Fortia et Patere
Translated from Latin, it means…
Do Brave Deeds and Endure!
Of all the known virtues…bravery and courage is the staircase upon which all the other virtues step. Without bravery and courage…all other virtues become vices.
The conceptual opposite of courage is cowardice. We are therefore confronted with the reality that we either habitually practice bravery and courage…or we habitually practice cowardice.
What good is a conviction about honesty or fairness if no willingness exists to habitually put them into action when faced with adversity?
Of what use is a code of ethics that hangs on the wall, unimplemented?
What good is a vision, a core set of values, principles and beliefs if you don’t have the courage to enforce them habitually?
Bravery and courage are unique in that they takes on the form of every virtue at the testing point.
Allow me to explain…
When bravery and moral courage is tested…they manifest in the form of character, honesty, respect, responsible behavior, and compassion.
And when moral cowardice is tested…it presents itself in opposite forms to include bad character, dishonesty, disrespect, irresponsible behavior, and lack of compassion.
Absolutely no grey matter exists when it comes to bravery and moral courage.
Bravery and courage are universally admired virtues. Every culture, religion, philosophy, and school of thought is dependent upon their implementation, and subsequently breaks downs without it.
All habits and muscles are strengthened by use and courage is no different. Through the process of practice and repetition we can learn to become brave and courageous.
Likewise, all habits and muscles atrophy through the lack of use. None of us can afford a bravery nor courage deficit…yet that is the biggest deficit that exists in most people’s lives.
Physical and moral are the subsets of bravery and courage. Each is unique, and each is intertwined.
Physical bravery and courage is the willingness to face serious risk of life or limb instead of fleeing from it. It is the firmness of one’s resolve that confronts danger or extreme difficulty without fear and with resilience.
In very real terms, physical bravery and courage in modern society has been replaced with ease, convenience and security.
Rarely will we be called to exercise physical acts of bravery and courage.
Where once we faced dark, mysterious and uncharted frontiers…we now
experience each new journey in clear and precise detail which is evident in the use of global positioning devices which provide a guaranteed safety net.
Even at wartime, when the truest form of bravery and courage is tested and found…advanced technology and weaponry used from a safe distance has
significantly removed the necessity for physical bravery and courage.
While technology can be used to reduce or offset acts of physical bravery and courage…it is up to us individually to perform heroic acts of moral courage.
MORAL BRAVERY
Moral bravery and courage is best defined by firmly and confidently facing mental challenges…crisis of conscious…and ethical dilemmas that could harm one’s reputation, emotional well-being, self-esteem and other intrinsic characteristics.
It is doing the right thing…even if it’s unpopular without flinching or retreating.
It’s refusing to idly stand by while others engage in unethical behavior. Moral bravery and courage is moral excellence.
Moral bravery and courage is concerned with the defense of the intangible. It is not property but principles, not valuables but virtues that moral bravery and courage rises to defend.
Acts of moral bravery and courage carry with them the risks of humiliation, ridicule, contempt, unemployment, and loss of social standing.
The morally brave and courageous person is often going against the grain, acting contrary to the accepted norm.
For many, the rule is in order to get along you go along. But for the morally courageous person, that philosophy is unacceptable.
There’s risk associated with moral courage but that’s exactly the point.
If you don’t risk defending your principles, you are guaranteed to lose them. And that’s a risk not worth taking.
One of the most virtuous aspects of moral bravery and courage is that it can be practiced by anyone regardless of age, gender, physical ability, or surroundings.
A child can stand up to her peers in defense of a principle in the same way her parents could. A physically challenged person can fight for what’s right just like anyone else.
The type of courage we must call on in business and in life is primarily moral, not physical.
It is commonly displayed in a steadfast adherence to fundamental values.
Moral bravery and courage is a necessary element in the ethics equation as without bravery and courage you cannot possibly demonstrate values with complete authenticity.
An absence of bravery and moral courage leads to moral decay as greed, selfishness and stupidity takes over.
There will be a growing disdain, and contempt for your services which is never healthy for your future.
Without bravery and moral courage…all virtue is fragile.
While we may admire, profess, and look for it in others and ourselves, most hold it cheaply and surrender it with little fight.
Remember…behavior never lies, and without the courage to act, virtuous conviction is completely meaningless.
We must have the moral courage to defend our convictions. If we lack the courage to hold on to our beliefs in the moment of their testing, not just when they harmonize with those of others but also when they confront opposition, then they’re superficial and add nothing to our self-respect or our society’s respect for the virtues we profess.
We can admire virtue and abhor corruption, but without bravery and courage we are highly vulnerable easily corruptible.
Aristotle…probably the greatest philosopher and thinker of all time, said a simple method can help…
“If you wish to learn a virtue, any virtue, simply practice the virtue in every situation where that virtue is required.”
In other words, if you wish to develop the qualities of bravery and courage, act brave and courageously even when you feel afraid.
More emphasis needs to be placed on bravery and moral courage as the true hero’s in our families, neighborhoods, schools, boardrooms and elected offices are those who habitually practice acts of moral courage.
Now you understand why my first tattoo will be…Fac Fortia et Patere.
Do Brave Deeds and Endure!
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Gary Ryan Blair is creator of the 100 Day Challenge…a radical approach to goal achievement that shows people how to accelerate their results, achieve 10X size goals and transform every area of their life and career — FAST.
