A Time for Courage: our theme for the week of Jan 6th

We are being called to a place of courage. As we contemplate the state of the world at the beginning of 2013, there are so many dimensions that are deeply troubling. Fear is rampant in our country, our communities and our own hearts.

"Courage is fear that has said its prayers." As this aphorism suggests, courage is not the absence of fear, but going beyond it. Chogyam Trungpa talks about this concept in Shambhala: The Sacred Path of the Warrior:

In order to experience fearlessness, it is necessary to experience fear. The essence of cowardice is not acknowledging the reality of fear... Going beyond fear begins when we examine our fear: our anxiety, nervousness, concern, and restlessness. If we look into our fear, if we look beneath its veneer, the first thing we find is sadness, beneath the nervousness. Nervousness is cranking up, vibrating, all the time. When we slow down, when we relax with our fear, we find sadness, which is calm and gentle. Sadness hits you in your heart, and your body produces a tear... That is the first tip of fearlessness, and the first sign of real warriorship. (pp.47-9)

Let us encourage one another in our dialogue this week. Let us embrace our fears and go beyond them together. As Meg Wheatley urges us in So Far from Home, let us:

discover our right work and be happy to be engaged in it

refrain from adding to the aggression, fear and confusion of this time

stay present to the world as it is, with open minds and hearts, knowing this nourishes our gentleness, decency and bravery.

As always, our conversation takes place on the Occupy Cafe forum as well as our three Cafe Calls this Monday, Tuesday and Thursday (times and registration links on the right side of this page). You are invited to start NOW on the forum by sharing a story about a time when you acknowledged and went beyond your fears.