A few words on Courage
In aviation - as I'm sure it is the case in many other industries - when a person shows tremendous amount of bravery, fortitude and audacity, they are said to possess a certain part of the male body regardless of their gender.
The fact is that courage has nothing to do with a collection of dangly appendages belonging to the male anatomy. Courage comes from the heart. I don't mean the physical one but the centre of a being; their core, essence, soul. Courage is to go beyond one's fear, beyond the comfortable, to dare speak the truth and stand for it when no body else will.
Courage doesn't have gender, race or age.
How many women throughout history have had the audacity to stand up to overpowering, misogynistic men, at times, even paying with their lives?
How many men have lost their lives because they bravely defended the lives of women and children?
How many children have had the courage to endure abuse by the very men and women who are supposed to take care of them?
How many peoples have had the courage to stand up to tyranny of the few in power?
It's easy to hide behind great numbers. Once a handful of courageous men, women and children have started to stand for what they believe in, others are happy to jump on the train. Certainly, it adds momentum to the cause, but at that point it is not courage that drives people to join forces. Sometimes, it boils down to self-centred results, self-promotion and even marketing.
Men, women and children of all races have been role models of courage:
Joan of Arc and Rosa Parks.
Martin Luther and Martin Luther King.
Mother Teresa and Malala.
The men who have fought for our freedom during all the wars since the beginning of time.
The women who have endured physical, mental, emotional, verbal, sexual abuse since forever.
The children who are beaten, enslaved and raped everyday in every corner of the world...
So let's be clear, courage is far too noble to have anything to do with sperm and hormone filled sacs!
Courage is never giving up.
Courage is the internal light that keeps one going even in the dark.
Courage is selfless (but the ego selfishly gets in the way).
Courage is within each of us - if we just allow it to shine through.
