Continuing our series on the Seven Sacred Teachings of the First Nations, today we look at Bravery:
“Bravery is to face foe with integrity. Symbolized by the bear, he teaches us courage. The Bear provides many lessons in the way it lives, but courage is the most important teaching it offers. Though gentle by nature, the ferociousness of a mother Bear when one of her cubs is approached is the true definition of courage. To have the mental and moral strength to overcome fears that prevent us from living our true spirit as human beings is a great challenge that must be met with the same vigour and intensity as a mother Bear protecting her cub.”
Fear is perhaps, one of our greatest obstacles to change. When our fear response takes over, it can affect our rational brain’s ability to temper our diffidence and worry, leaning us instead into moments of feeling stuck. In order to overcome what are often perceived fears, we must find courage to be curious about how those misgivings developed and asking ourselves if it has to be that way. Structural change often comes from a tenacious feeling that something must change; from there we can find courage in the simple ability to stay the course.
Information for this post came from: http://empoweringthespirit.ca/teachings/the-bear/
Photo credit: http://Photo by Paxson Woelber on Unsplash
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