Strong and courageous, those words conger up a lot of images and ideas. I think of warriors going into battle, bold lions, or confident competitors. Today I was in the doctors office, getting some lab work done for a checkup, when I saw a handwritten sign on a whiteboard that simply said, “Be strong and courageous.” Behind the sign were several chairs with patients receiving chemotherapy. This sign in this place made me stop and think for a minute on what strength actually is.
The dictionary defines strength as the capacity of an object or substance to withstand great force or pressure. I believe that strength is formed in the secret places of our lives when we find the courage to try one more time. When learning to walk children get stronger every time they get up and try again after they fall. The child that learns to ride a bike gets stronger every time they get back on the bike and try again after they have crashed. A child learning to read gets stronger every time they try again to sound out a new word. The athlete gets stronger every time they try again after not making the team. The entrepreneur, the business leader, the politician, the mother, the father, the husband, the wife, all get stronger every time they try again.
Strength doesn’t come from success, it comes from having the courage to try again. The muscles of resiliency are forged in the fire of adversity. What is it in your life that you need to gather the courage to try again?
Be strong and courageous!