A Piece of My Story: Encountering Courage

After living my entire life in North Carolina, at the age of 35 I moved to Santa Fe to pursue my masters in counseling at Southwestern College. It was a huge, and scary, undertaking. In less than two months I rented out my house in Charlotte and found a place to live in Santa Fe. Half of my belongings I either sold or gave away, and the movers loaded up what was left. I packed the essentials in my small sedan, buckled up my two brown dogs in the backseat, and away we went. One week and 1700 miles later I arrived in Santa Fe, a place where I knew not a single soul.

All loaded up and on my way!

This journey of a thousand miles began with a leap of faith, the likes of which I had never taken before. It was a major risk, but a calculated and well-planned one. Many of my loved ones thought it was impetuous, but I knew deep in my soul it was a life or death decision. Either stay in North Carolina where it was safe and familiar, but where my soul was starving, withering in a slow death; or move to New Mexico, the utter unknown, and give my soul the chance to thrive and express its full potential.

The sign says it all.

And my faith was rewarded. Blessings revealed themselves around every corner: meeting the love of my life, new friends, the perfect job, better health, intellectual and spiritual inspiration, kindred spirits, the mountain, a revived connection with Mother Earth, and most importantly, deep personal transformation and healing.

But the price was courage. Amelia Earhart knew a thing or two about courage, and this poem by her holds a central place in the corkboard above my desk:

COURAGE

Courage is the price that Life exacts for granting peace,

The soul that knows it not, knows no release

From little things;

Knows not the livid loneliness of fear,

Nor mountain heights where bitter joy can hear

The sound of wings.

 How can Life grant us boon of living, compensate

For dull grey ugliness and pregnant hate

Unless we dare

 The soul’s dominion? Each time we make a choice, we pay

With courage to behold the restless day,

And count it fair.

- Amelia Earhart

The courage to manifest a thriving, fulfilling life is within us all. I see this courage in all my clients, regardless of their current situation. In some the fire is already raging, in others the kindling is primed and ready, just awaiting a spark, but it’s always there. Together, in therapy, we cultivate this creative energy carefully and with intention- We don’t want to burn the house down! 

Sometimes the most courageous step is the first one.  It takes a lot of courage to come to counseling. For many people, they have tried everything else and therapy is the last resort. But it is not giving up by any means- rather it is that inner voice saying,

“I want to fight for my best life. I am not giving up. I am not resigning. I know it can be better than this, and I know I deserve it.”

That was the voice that spoke to me in May of 2009, and which led me to seek counseling when I was drowning in an abyss of uncertainty and loss. That was my first step, and in many ways the hardest. My therapist helped me kindle my courageousness and a year later I was planning my move to Santa Fe. Now I am here to pay it forward; to help others live courageously and fully and joyfully.

What is your relationship with courage? How have courageous decisions created more peace in your life?

What do you most want in life but it scares the hell out of you?