To Be Brave

Public speaking. Courage is what it takes to stand up and speak. It is also what it takes to sit down and listen. Bravery not the absence of fear, but the consequence of conquering it. Believe me, it is contagious. When a brave man (me) takes a stand, the spines of others (you) are stiffened. Congratulations, I’ve given you a new lease of life. Now go and conquer that bowl of ice cream. I must warn you though, bravery is only half the victory.

A test. All of us have moments in our lives that test our courage. Taking a child into a house with white walls is one of them. To bath a cat takes brute force, perseverance, courage of conviction – and a cat. The last ingredient is usually the hardest to come by. Anybody who doesn’t know what soap tastes like, never washed a dog. So having a pet generally takes a lot of courage. Whether it’s a dog, cat or a baby.

Unprecedented. If you want something you’ve never had, you have to do something you’ve never done. Be brave. Even if you’re not, pretend to be. Take risks. Nothing can substitute experience. On one hand, you could end up homeless. On the other hand, you could be moving next door to Chris Rock in Beverly Hills. And if you believe all of this crap, I have a small island to sell to you for $29. I like you. You’re stupid, but very brave.

Potential. You need a backbone, not a wishbone. You’re not necessarily born with bravery, but you’re born with potential. Unfortunately, a few people have eaten theirs. Without courage, you cannot practice any other virtue with consistency. Sometimes courage is the little voice at the end of the day that says I’ll try again tomorrow. If Internet explorer is brave enough to ask you to be your default browser, you’re brave enough to ask that girl out.

Face your fears. Your fears are not walls, but hurdles. Bravery is being the only one who knows your afraid. It’s actually crazy that we only expect bravery from men. Where are the brave women? The only thing women are brave enough to do is cut their hair short and make a documentary out of it. Men fight wars, lift huge items in warehouses and put out fires, but a woman cutting her hair takes the spotlight and shows bravery? Take several seats.

Smile through the pain. When life gives you a hundred reasons to cry, show life that you still have a thousand reasons to smile. To be brave is to be quiet in the face of danger. It’s a common delusion that you can make things better by talking about them. Yes, I see the robbers too! Of course those guns are loaded, now will you keep quiet before you get both of us killed? Chicken! In life, it’s important to know when to stop arguing with people and simply let them be wrong.

I’m not funny, what I am is brave. Going from failure to failure without losing enthusiasm. Every week, I write a post that I feel will destroy my legacy and the lofty standards I have set. As I’m about to hit “publish”, I start to get cold feet and sweaty palms. Questions like “What if they don’t like it?” come to mind.Then I remember that I’m Gottfried. And there is none like me. I own you. You will read whatever I serve you, and you will enjoy it!

All hail king Gottfried!

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