Courage is a very big thing.  It takes courage to face life’s big challenges, and we all know some people who are facing those.  Such as the big C, and that does not refer to Courage, but to Cancer.  I have a friend who has Cancer, and he faces it every day with courage and strength.

There are also those who are facing major transitions in their life, be they career changes, job losses, or losses of a different nature, such as the loss of loved ones.  These are big life events that take Courage with a capital “C.”

Then there are the everyday events, and these too can take courage. Now I do not for one minute put the rest of this discussion of what takes courage on the same level as the big life events I just mentioned.  But they take do take courage, at least for me.

Such as the courage to face the physical stuff one has, and to decide once and for all what is worth keeping, and to let go of the rest.  I am dealing with this issue, and hope to conquer this by the end of the year.  Now that is an aggressive timeframe.  Just think about it.  This is the very time of the year when we usually accumulate stuff, not get rid of it.  But I am determined anyway.  My goal is to go through every drawer, closet, cabinet, and box in every room, and make these decisions, and not just that, but have the courage to follow through.  The follow through will, of course, be the hard part.

Now this is an issue that I have struggled with for years, the accumulation of stuff, including magazines and papers.  It is fairly common for me to clean the kitchen counter off and my desk by putting everything on those spaces in a box in a closet, with the plan to go through the box later.  I just went through two of those boxes, and found little that I had missed or needed to keep.  So, unlike other times, this time I threw away most of what was in those boxes.

My stimulus for this is a new friend.  We talked recently about our businesses, and how to collaborate for mutual benefit.  This new friend is a delight, and she said some things that resonated with me. Her business is Raleigh Green Gables, and she is a professional organizer.   We talked about how difficult it is to focus and find clarity when we have stuff everywhere.  I believe that, I just struggle with letting go.  I know that my issue with this comes from my childhood, and not having much of my own, including not having a stable home life.  One of my regrets is that I do not have anything tangible from my childhood.  Without realizing it, perhaps my need to hold onto so much comes from that. But at soon to be 64 years of age, it is time to conquer that!  I believe that I will this time.

I have read all of the books on organizing, including the one many people are talking about lately, The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up.  Now, I loved that book, but I do not plan for my clearing out to be that extreme.    As much as I want to change and plan to change, I will never be a minimalist.   However, I do plan for my change to be noticeable to my husband, who said years ago, “When are you going to stop reading all those books and do something about what is in them?!”  Touché.

My business tag line is “Inspiring Positive Change.”  I believe that Ghandi was right when he said, “You must be the change you wish to see in the world.”

A relative of mine asked me recently why I was so open about some things I posted in a recent Blog.  That was easy for me to answer.  I want to be authentic, warts and all.  I have found that it helps others when speakers and consultants are honest about their challenges, without wallowing around in them.   Although I never have put myself on a pedestal, sometimes my audiences have.  Acknowledging my weaknesses and struggles just may help others deal more effectively with theirs.

I am a work in process, and my growth will not be finished until I have taken my last breath, hopefully.  I want to continue to learn and grow, and share my lessons learned with others.

Courage.  I have given you a glimpse into my current struggle, and noted how courage is needed to stay the course to conquer challenges.

But enough about me.  What are your challenges requiring Courage?