  Spiritual
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Courage is resistance to fear, mastery of fear - not absence of fear.
-~~Mark Twain
You gain strength, courage and confidence by every 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
Creativity requires the courage to let go of certainties.
~~Erich Fromm
Our doubts are traitors, and make us lose the good we oft might win, by fearing to attempt.
~~William Shakespeare
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The holiday festivities are past and we begin a new year. For some, this will be a time of change, an attempt to keep New Year resolutions; for others, it will be a time of dieting to take off the excess weight gained over the holidays. While I easily fit into the second category of holiday over-eaters, I find that as I age, I make fewer resolutions for new years.
Though I don’t make resolutions, I still enjoy trying new things. I think this is what helps keep us young at heart – the willingness to accept new challenges in life, as well as in our writing. Without challenges, life becomes stagnant and humdrum. Without taking creative risks, we lose the opportunity to experience the new, the out-of-the-ordinary. I believe taking risks and accepting challenges keeps us sharp spiritually, as it calls for a certain amount of faith and courage.
One of my favorite quotes about the courage of accepting new challenges and risk-taking comes from former US President Teddy Roosevelt.
It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood, who strives valiantly; who errs and comes short again and again; because there is not effort without error and shortcomings; but who does actually strive to do the deed; who knows the great enthusiasm, the great devotion, who spends himself in a worthy cause, who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement and who at the worst, if he fails, at least he fails while daring greatly. So that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who know neither victory nor defeat.”
I want to be counted among those who dared to live differently, rather than among the timid souls. But this means that I must take chances, even with the possibility of failing and looking bad. As a poet, I want to try new forms, new ideas, maybe even attempt to create a new form, a new style of poetry. I want to continue to hone my writing skills and to be more active in helping others sharpen their skills. For the first time, I am attempting to lead a creative writing class in my community. It requires courage to try – what if no one shows up? These are the chances creative risk-takers must take – failing and appearing silly. My other option is be timid and feel I have nothing to offer, to walk away with a clean face and well-groomed hair, but to never know what it was like to step into a new arena.
This is my New Year 2008 wish for each of you. Try something new; be a creative risk-taker and live from the heart, valiantly. Begin that novel you have always thought about. Submit that short-story or poem to a magazine. Join a class or workshop, either here at Writing.com or in your community. Lead a workshop. Begin to give quality reviews. For to ‘know neither victory or defeat’ falls only to those ‘timid souls’ who never take the chance of failing and will never know the thrill of succeeding in an endeavor never thought possible. All it requires is an ounce of faith and the courage to step into the arena.
No doubt there exist real dangers in life you must avoid. But there's a huge gulf between recklessness and courage. I'm not referring to the heroic courage required to risk your life to save someone from a burning building. By courage I mean the ability to face down those imaginary fears and reclaim the far more powerful life that you've denied yourself. Fear of failure. Fear of rejection. Fear of going broke. Fear of being alone. Fear of humiliation. Fear of public speaking. Fear of being ostracized by family and friends. Fear of physical discomfort. Fear of regret. Fear of success.
How many of these fears are holding you back? How would you live if you had no fear at all? You'd still have your intelligence and common sense to safely navigate around any real dangers, but without feeling the emotion of fear, would you be more willing to take risks, especially when the worst case wouldn't actually hurt you at all? Would you speak up more often, talk to more strangers, ask for more sales, dive headlong into those ambitious projects you've been dreaming about? What if you even learned to enjoy the things you currently fear? What kind of difference would that make in your life?
http://www.stevepavlina.com/articles/courage-to-live-consciously.htm
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LIfe stories:
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About finally having inner peace. Featured in the Jan 2nd WDC Spiritual Newsletter
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Poems:
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nurseteacher
kansaspoet, the Holy Spirit revealed to me recently - as a Christian- that the ongoing bouts of 'the black dog' I thought was depression, was in fact 'opression'; made possible from my sin of unforgiveness towards my father for physically and sexually abusing me over most of my childhood years.
I hadn't realized until God revealed it, that although a Christian can't be 'possessed', they can - and frequently are - 'opressed'; and need prayer, rather than Prozac.
In God's strength,I repented of my unforgiveness and prayed to God to give me His love for both my parents, and He instantly answered my prayer. I felt that awful black heaviness lift from me and it has not returned since.
God's message is this;'Christians beware'. But also remember we can always be victorious; God's only a prayer away.
Write On kansaspoet
WriteRight
Thank you WriteRight for your thoughts. Sometimes it is unforgiveness or things we have done wrong, but others it is nothing we have done. When asked once what sins caused a man's sickness, Jesus replied that no sin had caused it. So we must be careful about putting everyone into the same category.
Cherokeescribe
Thank you for including "Dirt Road to Heaven" in your newsletter. I've received many kind reviews. ~ RK
Thank you RK. I love to hear that being featured in the newletter brings reviews.
tsurtidogni
I highly appreciate the editorial that explained
the topic of faith, perseverance, and tenacity.
In our daily existence, reading an Editorial like
this gives energy to the weak soul, reviving to
be more refreshing and to have the kingdom within
most blessed. A kingdom in hope, joy and peace.
Thank you very much .MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ALL !
Thank you for your encouragement tsurtidogni and I am glad you found strength in the editorial.
MDuci
Dear Larry, thank you for such an informative insight into some our most renound and inspirational writers as well as leaders...great Newsletter and wonderfully inspiring article.
Thank you
Marlena
And thank you for your continual support and encouragement Marlena.
faithjourney
Amen, and thanks so much for the newsletter on tenacity. As writers, we certainly need it - this is a rejection heavy business! When it comes to getting published, fortune favors the persistent. I get rejection letters regularly, but keep trying for those 1 or 2 acceptance letters a year I get. A thick hide and tons of faith are imperative to being a writer. Happy Holidays!
Thank you Sherri for your insight and your continual support of the Spiritual Newsletter.
Sophurky 
Great newsletter, Larry! I appreciate the spiritual universalness of your topics each month, and in particular thought this issue about perseverance was very nicely done -- and the famous examples added just the right touch. Nice job! Happy Holidays! Sophy
Thank you for your inspiration Sophy.
Kaya
Larry, thank you so much for featuring my poetry contest! Loved the newsletter and it is so true. Anyone who swims upstream and against the current instead of floating down the river with the 'rest' of the fish, is thought foolish and a dreamer. Thank you God for the dreamer! Isn't that why we have dreams anyway? To see beyond the mundane? To reach towards something incredible? How sad to never run a race for fear of failure.
Thanks for sharing your insight Kaya and for providing your wonderful Pond Poetry contest.
Vivian 
Encouraging newsletter, Larry. Thank you. ~~ Viv
Thank you for your continual support Vivian.
Spiritual Newsletter editors:
Sophurky
Puditat
kittiara
larryp
We welcome your feedback to the newsletters.
Next week's editor is:
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Spiritual: January 02, 2008 Issue [#2145]
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