Courage

Whenever I see men in the armed forces, two words instantly come up: brave and courage. I have often wondered how these people exhibit both qualities and how these qualities though appearing to be similar are different.

As I was watching the recently released movie "Major" I found some of my answers. When a little child stands up to protect his sister from a dog he's brave because he is not aware of any risk involved. He just acts instinctively. He is not concerned about the outcome of his action but is focused on just protecting his little sister. Fear is far away from his thought. But later when he is trained and geared up for facing challenges in protecting the nation and citizens from different dangerous elements he has cultivated courage and doesn't hesitate to use it. Courage is when Major decides to go up and put a fight against terrorists single-handedly. He is aware of the risk and the fear of losing everything persists. But still, he makes a conscious choice to protect, to perform his duty till the last breath. Are all men in the armed forces born brave? Historical stories of Ram, Shivaji Maharaj, Maharana Pratap, and Rani Laxmi bai describe them as brave since childhood. While bravery is mostly inherited, it also develops during childhood depending on how a child's mind is conditioned. We often say to our kids to be brave. That means eliminating fear and going ahead. Some people are born brave and are not afraid of anything. Once a doctor friend of mine remarked that it is parents who instill fear of various things. Kids' mind is spotless.Child imbibes what he or she sees around and listens to. Fear of darkness, ghosts, water, traffic, etc all are instilled by parents when they talk with concern unknowingly. Sleep or else the devil will come, eat this, or germs would attack, don't go alone in dark are small instances of how fear gets inside a pure mind. When there is no fear individuals tend to act naturally and are considered to be brave. So consciously we need to ensure that unnecessarily we are not inputting any elements of fear in kids around. Courage on the other hand coexists with fear. Fear is present but a mindful person makes a conscious choice and shows courage. Courage is displayed when there is some higher purpose involved, something more important than fear. That higher purpose makes an individual do things that he or she is otherwise is afraid of. Neerja Bhanot chief flight attendant showed courage and saved the lives of over 300 passengers. We come across such instances where people for a higher purpose risk their lives. Rescue teams at the sea are aware that their boats can turn upside down but still they go into the wild sea to rescue people who accidently get drowned. During the pandemic doctors and the healthcare department continued treating patients, vaccinating people risking their own lives, and displaying impeccable courage.In society when a female raises her voice against sexual harassment she displays courage.When a junior manager expresses disapproval over his team leader's decision and highlights some critical aspects to the entire team he is courageous since he knows the repercussions may be negative. Being a finance professional I often come across entrepreneurs who put up a tough fight day in and day out to protect their business from vagaries and secure the interest of employees.Are they all brave? Not necessarily but when they land up in situations they gather courage and fight. It is like a mother protecting her child.

In life whether personal or professional, one may or may not be brave but one needs to be courageous.To explore and experience life in full form one needs to travel to unknown places, meet unknown people and adjust to unseen circumstances. This is possible only when one is either brave or one has the courage to face come what may. Love, care, and commitment, all need courage . Aspirations need the courage to get fulfilled.One needs to keep aside all fears.As they say " Darr ke aage jeet hain". Life is full of ups and downs. There may be a medical emergency, financial crisis, personal loss, or professional setback. One needs to gather courage, keep the purpose above everything and be composed to sail through the rough patch of life .

Nelson Mandela has rightly said, “I learned that courage was not the absence of fear, but the triumph over it. The brave man is not he who does not feel afraid, but he who conquers that fear.”