Wednesday, January 16, 2013

{Keys to a Successful Recovery: Courage}


Courage is when you're afraid
But you keep on moving anyway
Courage is when you're in pain
But you keep on living anyway
{Lyrics from Courage by Orianthi}

The third key to a successful recovery is courage. It goes hand-in-hand with wisdom because if you have the wisdom to know what is best and what you need to do, you must have the courage to do those things and stand up for them. 

I wrote a post all about what courage meant to me here if you want to check it out, but just to do an overview. Courage, to me is about being true to who you are on the inside and being able to express your true self. Courage is also facing fears, taking risks and being vulnerable. And sometimes courage is not a big event, but rather something as small as trying again tomorrow.


When you struggle with an eating disorder, courage is so important. Without being courageous, there is no way you can keep on going, keep on pushing, and keep on trying each and every day. It takes courage to get up every single day and try again. And it's not easy, I've been there. I remember days when I would lie down at night and hope I wouldn't wake up because everything was just too hard. But I also had days where I would wake up and would keep plugging along, and I would never give up. 

When you have the wisdom to know what you are supposed to do, you only have half of the equation. Courage is the missing link. You can talk all you want about the things you have to do and what you are going to do, but if you can't find the courage within, talk is all there will ever be. Courage is the action that comes after the talk. 

I remember I would go on walks with my mom and talk the whole time about what I was doing to myself, how much I wanted to change and telling her what I needed to do, but when push came to shove, my courage wasn't there yet and I continued down the same road with the same behaviors. 

Finding courage isn't easy. it can be difficult to be brave in the midst of uncomfortable or overwhelming times, but it's possible. 

The best way to find courage is to take a risk. Try that cupcake you just baked. Take a bite of something that makes you tremble. Don't go to the gym for one day. Just do something that goes against Ed's plans for once. It's hard but I guarantee you'll find great strength in those fearful moments. 

You are a lot stronger than you think you are, and no body said you had to believe what you think. 

Courage will bring you through the rough patches and one day you'll be able to look back and realize just how strong you really were. 

Go out and be brave! Do something scary!

You gain strength, courage, and confidence by each experience in which you really stop to look fear in the face. You are able to say to yourself, ?I have lived through this horror. I can take the next thing that comes along.? You must do the thing you think you cannot do. -Eleanor Roosevelt 

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