“You
gain strength, courage, and confidence by every experience in which you really
stop to look fear in the face,” said Eleanor Roosevelt. “You must do the thing
which you think you cannot do.”
Think
back. When did you look fear in the face? What can your
memoir teach your kids, grandkids, and other readers about doing that thing you thought you could
not do?
Read
the quotes below, slowly, and pause as long as it takes to rediscover personal
stories they bring to
mind,
incidents you might have forgotten long ago.
The
jump is so frightening between where I am and where I want to be…
Because
of all I may become
I
will
Close
my eyes
And
leap!
“And the day came
when the risk to remain tight in a bud
was more painful than the risk it took to blossom.”
“You can’t test courage cautiously.”
“I
learned that courage was not the absence of fear, but the triumph over it. The
brave man is not he who does not feel afraid, but he who conquers that fear.” Nelson Mandela
“Courage
is contagious. When a brave young man takes a stand, the spines of others are
stiffened.” Billy Graham
“Life
shrinks or expands in proportion to one’s courage.” Anaïs Nin
What
stories do these quotes bring to mind?
What
courageous thing have you done? Perhaps when you triumphed over fear, others
watched. Or maybe you looked fear in the face and took action even though no
one else ever knew about your bravery. Was Anaïs Nin right? Did your life
expand in proportion to your courage?
On
the other hand, perhaps these quotes reminded you of a time you refused to do the courageous thing, when you
remained tight in a bud and chose not to blossom. Was Anaïs Nin right? Did your
life shrink in proportion to your lack of courage?
When
did you experience, as Billy Graham observed, that courage is contagious? When
did you find courage to take action because you watched someone else take a
stand?
Looking
back now, whether you chose the courageous route or not:
- What did you learn
from your choice?
- How did your experience change you?
- Did you do things differently in the future?
- How did God help you? As a result, in what ways did your relationship with Him change?
- What Bible verses pertain to your story?
- What valuable lessons can you pass on to others?
Write
your stories.
Why?
Because
your children, grandchildren, and other readers
will
face situations in which their courage and faith are wobbly.
Your
story could make all the difference in their outcomes.
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