Why Not?

Seriously. Why not?

Benjamin Mee, played by Matt Damon in the movie We Bought A Zoo has to be one of my favorite portrayals of a character, ever. If you haven’t seen the movie, it is one that should be on your must-watch list. It is feel-good, heart-breaking, and heart-warming all at the same time. But I think that what makes this movie so incredibly moving is it’s portrayal of what it means to live a courageous and brave life. I have come to live by this wisdom stated throughout the movie: “You know, sometimes all you need is twenty seconds of insane courage. Just literally twenty seconds of just embarrassing bravery. And I promise you, something great will come of it”- Benjamin Mee.

Courage, by definition, means “cor”, or latin for “of the heart”. The earliest definition of courage was this: “To speak one’s mind by telling all one’s heart.” Over time, this definition has changed to imply something great or achieving something of heroic proportions. Well, I want us to look at the original definition, because it proves to all of us that courage comes down to how we live each day. It is a mindset, a wiring that we can have for ourselves if we choose it. And it does not mean constant achievement, rather it means listening to what your heart, what your intuition has to say before your mind can get in the way. And as Benjamin Mee said, sometimes all you need is twenty seconds of it to gain something amazing. In other words, all we need to do is carry it with us so we can have it there whenever we need to use it.

Now, there are some obstacles that may try to get in your way of living a courageous life. They may include:

• Fear of what other people may think.
• Scared to leave your comfort zone.
• Letting your mind get in the way.

Just to name a few. But, the good news is, is that you can always, ALWAYS choose how you think about something, That is one of the greatest, yet daunting gifts that humans have been given! So, when those obstacles get in the way, I urge you to stop and think about this: How much more beautiful life would be if I did those things I wanted to do, told that person how I feel about them, took that chance, and the list goes on….it may be just the thing that you were meant to do. I am not advising to never use your head in decision-making, but what I am saying is that sometimes you just know what you should do. It is not clear-cut or easy, but something inside tells you it is what is meant to be. So, I am advising you to listen to that.

And as Mark Twain said, “Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn’t do than the ones you did”. And, in this uncertain time right now, it might feel impossible to find the courage and the bravery in life. But, it is there. Remember it can lie in the smallest of moments.

Here’s to living courageously, whatever that may mean to you. Sometimes all it takes is 20 seconds. Seriously, why not?