"WHAT DOES 'COURAGE' MEAN TO YOU?" - A THOUGHT COMPILATION FROM SELECTED WRITERS

    "In 500 words or less, what does 'Courage' mean to you?" I asked the writers on my feed.  

And here are their takes.  Before you dive into their beautiful pieces, I just want to say that I find all artists who share their creations and performances with readers courageous.  It takes a lot to let other people see into our souls, so bravo to everyone who puts themselves out there.  It takes courage to take a leap of faith and push yourself out of your comfort in full view of the world.  

Aerial artist and performer Smita Rajgopal 

Photographer Tarun Koliyot

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What does Courage mean to you?

Typically to most, the word courage conjures up heroes and heroines, gods and goddesses, hard-fought battles and glorious victories, bravery and determination - this is all on the grander scale of life.

If we downsize our life experiences, courage is revealed in the unnoticed and the mundane.  This is not to diminish the experience of the person who displays this type of courage.

Think of the person who has to force themselves to get out of bed every day, with the world stacked up against them.  The fight to drag themselves out of bed, to make that first cup of coffee which will jolt some fortitude and resilience into their morning, before jumping into a shower that they really do not want to take, the water cleansing the body and soul of someone who thinks they are forgotten.  This is courage to me.  It takes a whole lot of courage just to start the day! 

Most of us greet the morning and do not think much of what it takes to get out of bed.  For those that have to be courageous every morning, may the Force be with you.

By Denise Gatphoh 

On Instagram as @gatphohdenise

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Letting go…

Courage is letting go of a haunting past... a past  that cautions you about the traumas, that may wound you yet again..  Courage is the wing that lets you take flight… into a life of mirth… of dreams come true… leaving all the distresses that chained you down… Courage is that which lets you live… a life with all the joys of being alive…

Nisha took a deep breath as she looked in the mirror  yet again. Her hair was perfect, and so was her makeup. Her eyeliner didn't smudge as usual, and like never before,  she didn't feel fat in the white gown she was wearing then. She could hear the chit-chat and laughter of her loved ones from the nearby room. She had asked them for a few minutes of her own. All were happy for her sake, she knew.

"Am I?" Nisha asked herself, glancing at herself in the mirror once more.  

There, she saw a tall, slightly plump figure wearing a beautiful white wedding gown.  Her hair was pulled back into a small bun, and she wore light makeup to complement her dusky complexion.  She was a bride again, at thirty-five, and this time, she was happy about it. 

What she didn't see in the mirror made her happier than what she saw there. She didn't see the failure that she once thought she was. She didn't see the fear and shame, that guilted her once. She didn't see the young naïve woman, who was manipulated into believing that she was of no good. She didn't see any of those things she had the courage to leave behind. As everyone around her thought life was unfair to her, she knew better when the divorce was finalised. For her, it was liberation from a life of sadness and loneliness into a life of peace and calm. 

As days passed by, she slowly rediscovered herself.  She rediscovered an old self, which she had once lost to abuse and trauma.  She re-learned to smile and laugh from her heart. She regained the courage that she'd lost somewhere along her journey. 

One day, she even found love. And then, when she affirmed that he was the one, she said yes, and here she was, in front of that mirror, all excited about the special day of her life.

She smiled gently and whispered softly to herself, "I do".

… for it was courage that was by her side, leading the way to a joyous life ahead.

By Tess Boby

On Instagram as @tess.boby

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What is courage?

Is it always being strong, brave and never failing?

No, it isn't.

It's all about accepting who you are within.

It's all about, how you wanna unhide yourself,

And embrace yourself, even when you are different,

Courage is to embrace everything about your inner demons, and still shine bright..

Courage also means, to prompt yourself to do things, you love to do, irrespective of what others might think,

Courage is how you push yourself to wake up to a day when you know it's gonna be hard;

Courage is all about smiling when you know, how painful your mind is feeling;

Courage is being strong, even when the loved ones fail you;

Courage is also to break down when you can't hold the fort anymore.

Courage is to be able to gather pieces of yourself resurrect yourself, and move on.

Courage is flaunting the scars that made you who you are now.

Courage is being unapologetically yourself.

By Sreepriya Menon 

On Instagram as @myquillthrill

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Courage, you sweet talker!  I wish you were as easy to describe as you sound like.

Beyond the realms of the obvious, you lay hidden in between the cracks of being explicable and inexplicable in the same breath.

For courage is the bleak yet powerful "I do" amidst the echoes of "we don't," 

It's the "I don't" when the entire universe sings "we do".

It is to able to see yourself the way you are in full acceptance and acknowledgment, warts and all.  You also live on your own terms, not caring which way the wind is blowing.  However, let's face it-- not everyone who doesn't have you by his or her side is weak.

Because going back to the duplexity of your nature, sometimes accepting a lack of courage owing to whatever circumstances and yet choosing to move on is also  COURAGE.

Courage is as much in knowing who you are, as knowing who you are not, facing it, and moving on!

By Maansi Saksena 

On Instagram as @talesofmeanmine

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Courage: to be able to recognise, see, look, make space, understand, validate and sit through fear is what courage is for me.

By Dhanlakshmi V

On Instagram as @vdillustrations 

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"Courage... What is courage?" I pondered. 

Is it the big sigh of relief?

Is it the belief that tomorrow will be a better day?

Is it the scars from the wounds of yesterday?

Is it doing something knowing one will fail?

If courage was a colour, should I call it a vibrant yellow or a dull purple?  If courage was a thing, would I keep it for myself or gift it to others? 

Courage has many forms, which form would mine take?  A quiet one that keeps wanting to try again or a loud one that roars like a lion? 

Walking the path of life, courage hasn't been something easy to come by.  Sometimes I have found it in the simplest of things, like a plant unwilling to quit.  And sometimes, I have found it everywhere, like the sun showing up every single day. 

What does courage look like to you?  A warm embrace of hope, a smile of encouragement or a tear from relentless eyes?  Look around and look within, tell me what you see.

By Ragini Ravi

On Instagram as @ragini.ravich

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Editor's Note: 

I want to thank all the writers who responded to the Flash Prompt. I loved reading all your takes on the theme.

For other writers who are looking for prompts, stay tuned to "Storytelling with Shweta" on Instagram, where I post writing tips, book recommendations and more for aspiring writers or those looking to make the space for writing in their lives. 

Shweta Ganesh Kumar,

Storyteller-in-chief, Inkspire.