Courage

                            Tough 

                            adjective 

                           (of a substance or object) strong enough to withstand adverse conditions or rough 
                           or careless handling.

1. You're tough.  He said.  

   Tougher than nails.  

   Tougher than dirt.  

   Tougher than leather.  

   Tougher than diamonds. 

   Tougher than the rest.

   
   

   You withstand.  You fight.  You win.

   
   

   Except when you meet your greatest adversary.  

   The one thing that provides the most adverse conditions and the roughest, most careless handling. 

   Then you realize you aren't really all that tough at all.

   Because the most adverse, the roughest, the most careless and unhinged hate comes from YOU, from within yourself.

   
   

   The house you build in your head, the one that gives you the most support to bust through, to be brave, to counter all the "No's", all the challenges, all the mishaps turns in on you, shuts you down and tells you you're only tough because you can't really handle much of anything.

   
   

   
   

   Then you become Brave.

   
   
   
   

        Brave

        adjective

   
   

        ready to face and endure danger or pain; showing courage.

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      You find it in you to combat yourself.  Your made up protective and angry self.  That never gets her way and never finds what she needs and can never say what exactly it is that she wants.  You take on courage.

      
      

      
      

      
      

      Courage 

      noun

      The ability to do something that frightens one.

      Strength in the face of pain or grief.

      
      

   
   

   
   

   
   

   
   

   or better yet, the ability to face your fears with your whole heart.

   
   

   And your heart is big.  And it picks you up and carries you.  It fights the toughness.  It asks for support.  It lets you push on through tears and shallow breathes.  It lets you find the beauty in not knowing.  It lets you be free to find the ones who'll listen and hold you and make you see that there's everything to be had and nothing lost.  

   
   

   It let's you look in the mirror and tell yourself that you love you.  Even though the tough guy tells you to shut up and fix the mess you are and all the messes you've made and called your life. 

   
   

   Because courage is the thing that brightens up.  

   It's the thing that lets us shine through the darkest desert night.  

   It brings light.  

   It guides the way.  

   It lets us fall and scrape our knees and make terrible dicisions and fall apart.  

   
   

   Then, it picks us up, dresses our wounds and sends us out to meet a new moment. 

   
   

   So, in times like these...and there will be many.  Call on courage.  Be brave and let your heart spread wide across your chest.  Without it we cease to exist.  With it, we live, thrive and begin again.

   
   

   
   

   
   

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