Lately, I’ve been feeling a little behind in life.
A lot of my friends are gone as student missionaries for the year or studying abroad in some picturesque foreign country. As the months have passed, more and more of my feed on social media has become filled with snapshots around the world, featuring pictures of either smiley elementary students or historical landmarks amidst a serene background. Although I know that I have a lot of priorities here at Andrews and at home, seeing everyone around me embark on such life-altering adventures makes me feel as if I don’t have as much courage as them to leave my normal life behind for a while and explore what the world has to offer.
But even more recently! I’ve realized that courage doesn’t always have to manifest in grand gestures or big journeys. Instead, I’m trying to practice courage daily, whether that be trying out something new at Starbucks (okay, fine, that might seem a little lame) or engaging in an activity that I’m not really familiar with. I’ve come to learn that an attitude of courage is more important than a singular act of courage.
Let me put it this way. I could go on a big journey abroad and discover myself in Spain while learning a new language! And while that would be so cool and interesting and fun, if I only take that one big leap then and don’t continue to take big leaps afterwards, how will I continue to grow as an individual? Thus, I’ve learned that putting myself out there for even a few seconds every day is just as enlightening as deciding to go abroad or take a mission year.
Of course, I want to make it clear that going abroad or being a student missionary are both great opportunities that I think everyone could benefit from! And they are most certainly big decisions that require a lot of bravery and consideration. However, I just want to encourage those of you who are feeling like they aren’t making such big decisions in their life that staying home is just as meaningful. Anyone can practice courage, no matter where they are or what they’re planning on doing with their lives.
It also doesn’t matter whether you’re an extrovert or an introvert! You might assume that having an attitude of courage is only fitting for someone who isn’t afraid of people or always needs to be doing something. That isn’t true at all! As someone who likes sticking to a routine, since the beginning of this school year, I’ve been trying to meet more people through my role as KASA vice president, make new recipes, explore more locally, give that weird dish in the caf a chance, and learn more about niche topics that I find interesting. Furthermore, even though I suck still, I’ve been learning how to play tennis and the ukulele.
In essence, this is a challenge to each of you reading to try to practice courage more every day. Go up and introduce yourself to someone new, try out that bungee-jumping class in the Wellness Center, or pick up that hobby you’ve been wanting to dabble in.
And FYI, I am planning on going abroad at some point ;)
Here’s to having everyday courage!
The Student Movement is the official student newspaper of Andrews University. Opinions expressed in the Student Movement are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the editors, Andrews University or the Seventh-day Adventist church.