COURAGE

Lesson Point 1: What is true courage…?

Activity - Fear Quiz

Let’s do a quick quiz. Here are the five things that a lot of people fear in the world. You will be given the scientific name and you must guess the object of fear. (Example: Hydrophobia is the fear of water). So here we go:

1. Acrophobia - fear of heights

2. Arachnophobia - fear of spiders

3. Trypanophobia - fear of needles

4. Nyctophobia - fear of darkness

5. Hemophobia - fear of blood

6. Examophobia - fear of exams!!

Debrief: What else do we fear? (Let the students answer). Why do we fear things? It can be our experiences of the past or misconceptions about things that cause us to fear. Sometimes it is not just the fear of things but the fear of circumstances too. What will be my future? Will I pass my exams? How can I speak in front of a crowd? Well, what we need is a steady dose of courage!

• Why overcome fear? Often when we talk of courage we think of great battles, fearless stunts etc. These things certainly can take courage but true courage is not fearlessness, it’s about overcoming fear. It is doing what you know is right even if you’re afraid to do it. There can be no courage unless you’re scared.

• Mark Zuckerberg, the creator of Facebook said, “The biggest risk is not taking any risk... In a world that is changing really quickly, the only strategy that is guaranteed to fail is not taking risks.” It is true. As we grow older and face newer challenges, we need to be people of courage. If we stay back in fear, we will miss out on everything in life. Moving forward with courage is the way to go.

• There are two kinds of courage. One is called physical courage. It is the ability to take an action in the moment of danger or need. For example, when you see a street dog charging at a small child, you will take a stone or a stick and chase the dog away even though your own life is at risk. The second kind of courage is the moral courage. Moral courage may not need a physical action but it is the decision of the mind to take the right stand. For example, when you have not studied well for the class test and your friends allows you to cheat the answers with him and you refuse. You know that you may fail the test but you also know that it is wrong to cheat. Courage is always a step towards doing the right thing

• Courage is a basic requirement for life. Our brains are designed and conditioned in such a way that we learn from our past and apply those learnings for future challenges. Many things we were once afraid of are no longer terrifying to us. But there may still be other things that we are yet to overcome.

Lesson Point 2: Being Courageous

Activity: Which action is courageous and which is foolish?

1. Fighting for your rights or walking away.

2. Doing something dangerous that others are doing or standing in a corner and watching over.

3. Teasing and bullying someone or standing up for someone who is being mistreated.

4. Blaming others for your mistakes or accepting responsibility..

5. Ignoring a new student or making friends with a new student.

6. Following the crowd or doing what's right.

7. Quitting when things get tough or working hard, even when it's difficult.

8. Helping a stranger in trouble or walking away.

Courage is not something we are born with. It comes from within, from the choices we make. Being courageous involves 3 main rules.

1. STANDING UP FOR WHAT IS RIGHT-

Courage is about facing your fears and standing up for what is right.

• It’s about speaking up and fighting for what is right. When you see injustice, act on it.

• It’s about saying No to things you don’t think is right, saying no to situations you don’t want to be part of because it’s not right. - We usually find it difficult to say “No” because we are afraid. We fear that we might hurt others, make them look down on us or look silly in front of others.

E.g. –

i. Saying “No” when your friends offer you alcohol, cigarettes or drugs.

ii. Saying “No” when your friends ask you to give them your answer sheet to cheat during an exam.

VIDEO 1: Iqbal Masih, The Story of The Brave Child (Check the video section below)

2. STANDING UP AGAINST YOUR FEARS

There is no human being who is not vulnerable. All of us have fears and all of us go through circumstances that are painful and fearful. Courage is about standing up against your fears and facing them.

Sometimes it is very painful and difficult to accept reality. Don’t run away from situations and circumstances but face them. Be willing to face the truth no matter how painful it is.

Your fear might be

i. An irrational fear (fear of animals, fear of the dark etc.)

ii. A difficult situation in the family (loss of a loved one, poverty, fight between parents, alcoholic parent etc.)

iii. An embarrassing situation at school

iv. A fact in life that you have to simply get along with. (Poor family background, dark skin colour, embarrassing sibling etc.)

v. Facing a person you don’t want to meet because of a certain issue

3. STANDING UP FOR OTHERS

Neerja Bhanot was a senior flight attendant for Pan American World Airways when her flight was hijacked on the morning of Sept. 5, 1986 while on a routine stopover in Pakistan. She conveyed the “hijack code” over the intercom to the flight’s cockpit crew which helped the pilots escaped through the cockpit’s emergency hatch – preventing the flight from taking off. For 17 hours, Neerja and other members of the crew did their best to take care of the passengers and calm them down. She protected the targeted Americans on board, by hiding their passports. The hijackers lost patience after a tense 17 hours and opened fire. Neerja opened the emergency door and flung open the inflatable chute, but instead of escaping she helped usher out passengers. She was shot by the terrorists while trying to protect three children from the terrorists. After her death, she was awarded the Ashok Chakra, India's highest civilian decoration for bravery.

VIDEO 2: Meet Neerja Bhanot (Check the video section below)

Courage is sometimes standing up for others.

• If you find someone being treated unjustly stand up for him/her. E.g. Standing up for someone who is being bullied

• If you find someone in need of help, offer it to them gladly. E.g. When you see a blind man falling on the road, help him out.

Lesson Point 3: What makes us courageous...?

Taking steps to identify and overcome fears is the first step in being more courageous. Here are some things you can do to build courage:

• Identify the areas where you are afraid and tend to compromise often. Is it, in telling the truth? Saying no to wrong? Not able to stand up for the truth? Have a desire to be a person of courage.

• Dismiss all irrational fears Most of the things that you fear are not going to come true. Rationalize the fears and dismiss all unnecessary exaggerations.

• Think of small steps you can take to overcome. For example: If you are prone to call teachers bad names, decide to stop the conversation or keep quiet or if you are prone to cheating in exams, decide that you will study harder and take a seat in the front of the exam hall to avoid cheating. Remember it is a slow but steady progress.

• Talk to someone who can help & support you, keeping track of your progress and guide you when you are stuck.

• Know that God is there and is in control of your life. Trusting God can help you overcome fears and be more courageous.

So then, what is Courage all about…? - Final thoughts

a. Courage is about daring to say a “NO” when needed. We usually don’t say a “No” because we are afraid. We fear that we might hurt others, or saying a no may make us look silly.

b. Courage is to accept and face the current reality. Sometimes it is very painful and difficult. Live in the present and naturally your future will fall in place. Don’t pretend, don’t turn a blind eye to reality, don’t exaggerate things, don’t be a bearer of bad news, don’t hide behind numbers, don’t ignore constructive criticism and above all don’t isolate yourself. Be willing to face the truth no matter how painful it is.

c. Have courage to dream big. Don’t limit yourself - dream big, dream the impossible. You might have doubt but in spite of it dream big and work towards it. Have a goal and work hard towards it and God will guide you and lead you to it.