Dear Gutsisthekey Reader:

     Today is a special day on Gutsisthekey! We will enjoy the thoughts of a Guest Author; Heather Travitz @heather31mom. I have been blessed to get to know Heather during the last year and she is a regular, important, personal encouragement to me. I know she will be to you.

     Heather and I have decided to work together on some posts to do our favorite thing; encourage others. And that is why I asked Heather to write this post for me. Being a mother to 4 step-children + 1 of her own and wife to the epitome of a modern day hero [an American soldier], who can not be there always to help her….. is tough stuff sometimes.

     This life would cause most others to run screaming.  But not Heather, although I am sure she feels like it sometimes. 🙂

      No, in the middle of challenges that are heart-rending and terribly difficult; not only does Heather not quit; she makes it her daily practice to spread her faith, hope and practical encouragement to others, all the time. So, Because Heather exemplifies courage; I have asked her to share her thoughts with us, about the subject.  

     Since Gutsisthekey is greatly about courage; today we will get power points from someone who humbly but truly knows how to live; COURAGEOUSLY.  tim

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“When you live life with honesty and courage nothing is out of reach.”  Heather Travitz

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What is COURAGE?

Courage is the power to let go of the familiar.  ~Raymond Lindquist

My personal definition of courage would be the ability to do or be your BEST as you face fear and uncertainty in all areas of life. Courage can be loud or soft, and I’ve found the latter can be more difficult for me personally. When presented with the need of times of quiet courage, I quite often think of the old saying, “Keep Calm and Carry on”. Other times, we just ‘live out loud” and make our voices heard! When we are not courageous, we give others our personal power and they will have a hand in the play by play of OUR lives! Living courageously, whether loud or quiet, can be daunting, but is necessary to successfully live our dreams and fulfill our destiny and potential for greatness!

Courage is not the absence of fear, but rather the judgment that something else is more important than fear.  ~Ambrose Redmoon

Courage is a soldier leaving his family to fight in a war far from home!

Courage is saying NO!

Courage is standing up against an abuser!

Courage is forgiving the unforgivable to free yourself!

Courage is speaking up when you feel strongly!

Courage is asking for what you need!

Courage is pursuing your dreams even if no one else sees them yet!

Courage is sharing your beliefs when you may be ridiculed for what you believe!

Courage is also keeping quiet when you know your words will fall on deaf ears!

Courage is standing up for what is right, even if you stand alone!

There are two real life types of courage in life, physical and moral.  Both are important. Being brave and bold in both of these areas as you live is clear courage.

Physical courage is demonstrated when you face your fear, pain or hardship!

Moral courage is how you act according to your morals and beliefs in the face opposition or disbelief.

Being courageous in no way means you are fearless, it means that in spite of your fear, you will stand up and fight for what you feel and know is right. Even when that means others may turn against you. When this happens, it typically will turn out better than you may think possible.

As hard as it may be to believe at the time, these acts of courage will enrich your life! They will help you remove the toxins in your life that are secretly bringing you down or dragging you away from your beliefs! And, in turn, when we surround ourselves with like-minded and successfully determined people, we will raise our own bar for courage and success!

1 Corinthians 16:13 NET

Stay alert, stand firm in the faith, show courage, be strong.

 We must face events with courage to truly live! Being bold and standing firm with our personal and spiritual beliefs is a must! As you begin to live life in a courageous way, there are always going to be trials and hardships to be faced. But you can be assured that these are worth the effort at the end of each day!

As we live boldly and face hurdles and hardships with courage, it is imperative that we use our faith in times of physical or emotional need! FAITH DEMANDS COURAGE!

     Personally, I have been praying about a situation in my life, and as I am writing this, and doing some reflection, I see that I am not facing the situation with courage due to ongoing feelings of powerlessness (that attack us all, if we are honest). So I am looking now for ways of creating MORE power, for myself and my husband. Ways, Where we can be included in decisions that are being made and our voices will be heard. {If I find my courage, I know that no matter the outcome, I will have faced the situation head on and my voice will be heard!} So, even before finishing this article, I was compelled to make contact with those in this situation, to speak up, using respect and facts to make our stance clear! ….. I can’t describe the feeling of empowerment of that one action!

 So, as you can see, it is important that we use courage as a stepping stone in life! In doing this, it will bring strength and success in the areas of life that we wish to achieve it! We will still have trials and hurdles to face, but when we are willing to push ourselves past those things; we will finally live in honor and for ourselves and our God! When we use courage to direct us in life, not fear of failure or pain, we will soar to heights we’ve never known possible!

Courage builds character and confidence! Unlocking your courage will open doors you didn’t know were closed! When you live life with honesty and courage nothing is out of reach. Our paths are already carved; success is ours to be had! Have the COURAGE to live the dream God has placed in your heart! Don’t allow fears or past failures to bury it!

Remember, When you live life with honesty and courage nothing is out of reach!

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More of Heather’s thoughts can be read @ http://thislifeasiloveit.blogspot.com/  

Please pay her a visit!!!! You will be glad you did.

Heather Travitz @heather31mom

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Tim – A Guy with Guts……..