Courage in Adversity From a child, I was raised to believe marriage is forever. You deal with your problems and work past them. However, six years ago I realized even with that belief sometimes you must find the courage deep within you to do some “do something”. I believe in times of adversity the courage to do what needs to be done, however scary or hard, is deep within you. I was married to a controlling narcissist for 25 years. I jumped when he came home and our household became stressed when he was around. The kids were scared to ask him if they could do activities. He put me down every day in private, in public, and in front of the kids. He had nothing good to say to me or about me. He began over a period of 15 years talking about a fantasy of seeing me have sex with another man. This grew over the years, he was obsessed with the thought, and he began trying to set something up without my knowledge. I realized I was just an object to the one who was supposed to love me above all. I was severely depressed and didn’t eat. I had no appetite and lost 26 pounds in two months and I didn’t think anyone cared about me. I was so beaten down I had no voice and just wanted to go to sleep and never wake up to get out of the pain. However, I didn’t because of my children. I …show more content…
knew I couldn’t do that to them and leave them motherless, so I kept moving, but couldn’t pull out of this depression. I knew I had to do something or my kids would soon lose their mother. I decided to go against everything I was taught and leave the marriage. I was raised that marriage is forever and I still believe this is the way it should be. However, no one should be subjected to daily emotional abuse in a marriage or treated the way I was. I stayed and didn’t say a word for years because I thought no one would support me and I would be condemned. I stayed at home to raise my kids and didn’t have finances to be on my own. I was fearful of losing my kids to anger for making this decision or from my husband turning them against me. He was a habitual liar and good at it. I also didn’t want my kids to have a broken home, but knew I couldn’t keep living like this. I finally spoke up and told someone about my suffering. That’s when I found the courage to do something for myself. I needed this for me and for my kids. I realized sometimes you must do what is right for you even when others don’t agree. My separation and divorce was the hardest thing I have ever done. The constant bullying from my husband and feeling like of a failure. I lived with a stigma of being associated as just a failed marriage instead of a person. Some people supported me, others didn’t understand. I realized I couldn’t worry about what others thought of me. They aren’t living my life. I also realized one day the kids would see him for what he is. I continued to show my love to my kids. Supported them. It took months for me to stop overanalyzing everything someone said to me and to gain self-confidence. Months to get disgusting images out of my head he put in there. After a couple years, I finally got my laughter back. An old friend said, “this is the Cheri I remember.” I wanted to go to college to be able to support myself better, but thought by going part time, as I work full time and must run a household, by the time I got out I’d be too old to bother.
I finally, after five years of pondering this, dove into college. I want to make a better life for myself. Be better able to support myself. I believe when absolutely needed, you can find the courage deep down to do what needs to be done. I believe people who love you will support you and others don’t matter. I believe you must do what you need to do to have self-confidence, and self-esteem. I believe you can find within yourself the courage to do something for yourself when it truly
matters.
As I reflect on my college life, I wonder about the choices I have made that have led me to where I am today and that will guide me into shaping who I long to become. The things I have had to sacrifice, the support and experiences I have had with family, friends, strangers and work colleagues. I don’t know what I will be doing three months or thirty years from now but I do know that I want to have new experiences. When I graduated from high school, I knew I didn’t want to be that person that moved back to the same town and stayed there for the rest of my life. I even contemplate leaving the United States in my adult life. Who really knows, maybe those cards are still in the deck. For now, I know my immediate goals include focusing on completing my college education the best I can, and moving away from my comfort zone, broadening my horizons and taken risks.
Helen Keller was born on June 27th, 1880 in Tuscumbia, Alabama. She was a bright infant, interested in everything around her, and imitating adults at a very young age. In February of 1882, she was struck with an illness which left her deaf and blind. For several years, Helen had very little communication with the rest of the world, except for a few signs which she used with her family. When she was six, her parents wanted desperately to do something to help their strong-willed, half-wild, child. They were far from any deaf or blind schools, and doubted that anyone would come to the little town to educate their deaf and blind child. They heard of a doctor in Baltimore who had helped many seemingly hopeless cases of blindness, but when he examined Helen, there was nothing he could do for her. However, he referred them to Dr. Alexander Graham Bell who recommended Anne Sullivan to teach Helen.
Probably the most important turning point in my life happened in 1992. At this time, I was eight years old and living in Williamsport Pennsylvania. My dad had a well-paying job at Anchor Darling Valve Company, I was attending a parochial school and I thought life was just great. At the time we lived in a large four-story house with a separate three-story garage and an acre of forest for a backyard. I had a ten-speed bicycle and I would often go bicycling with my friends at the nearby cemetery. No-one ever objected to this, in fact people would often have picnics at the top of this hill at the cemetery. I guess the only things I ever complained about were the constant music lessons and practice sessions my parents subjected me to.
Conflicts and adversity arise every day, relationships form and come to an end, different doors of opportunities open while others slam shut. There is very little a person can do to avoid adversities in life. It is the reactions to these adversities that truly influence a person and are essential for growth and success to form from the situation. I have been faced with various adversities in my life, and one of the adversities I have been continuously been facing has been my college career thus far.
An obstacle is a block in one’s way to prevent them to progress. Obstacles can be challenging rather than easy to achieve. In order to achieve an obstacle you need to never quit. When one overcomes a challenge there is a sense of pride that one might feel which gives motivation to do another task. Other obstacles take a while to achieve but it's always worth it when there is a great outcome. Throughout my life I have had to overcome an injury that has pushed me to my limits, and made me a stronger athlete and individual.
Getting into college has always played a huge role in my life. Neither of my parents received a college education and have worked in unstable, blue collar jobs. My mother has been a waitress for the majority of her life and my father has worked at various factories. Neither of my parents have enjoyed the career path they have taken and continuously stress to me the importance of a college education. From the time I can remember, my mother has always told me to work hard in school so I can get into a good college and have a stable career. Taking my mother’s advice, I strived to receive good grades in high school and continue to attempt to achieve as I further my education.
Growing up, I have watched my parents struggle financially. My mother has been in debt, and my father has had to struggle to help my mother. They motivate me to attend college so I will have a better future. College is essential to me because extending my education will be the only way for me to recognize myself as someone who is successful. I plan to earn my bachelor 's degree in either counseling or social work, so I can help those who are in the dark find the light. All of my life colleges has just been a dream to me that I have the urge to make a reality based on everything that I have experienced within my
Courage isn’t limited to saving a kitten from a burning building. While courageous acts are valuable to society, these don’t alone define the term “courage”. It’s necessary that every young child growing up knows that they don’t have to do outrageously difficult tasks in order to be courageous. Courage can be simple acts of standing up for what you believe in when it’s against the popular opinion. I am defining courage as the little bravery of stepping off the ledge and just letting go.
The relationship between courage and integrity is direct, meaning that when one increases the other increases by the same factor. It is through acts of courage that integrity grows and matures; Consequently one's willingness to exit their comfort zone and execute acts of courage is regulated by their integrity and their core values. It is through this paradoxical nature that personal truth is discovered, character evolves and the means by which one can make a “name” for themselves. By explicitly performing acts of courage based upon central values then faith in these beliefs is developed consequently increasing one's sense of integrity ultimately allowing unity between the mind and the conscience. It is the amount and firmness of the “integrity”
The definition of bravery is in an ambiguous state. “The quality of being brave”(Merriam Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary)as the dictionary references, gives no sense of what bravery truly is. The range for this quality is broad and has many different meanings to different people. Bravery is the determination to carry out deeds of courage, both great and small, while seeking no recompense. Bravery is a trait that can be seen in literature, throughout history, and in the real world.
life may be hard at times, just know to never give up if you have no one just say I am smart and I am worth it.
College is going to start my own life on a foot that is ready to leap because my career is going to take off right out of the gate. All-in-all I’m going to college for three main reasons. My immediate family is a reason because I want them to be proud of me for doing something right for once. My future family is also one because it’s a big part of my life that I want to be happy and always feel comfortable. Finally for my personal financial well-being, so I can be able to treat myself to all the luxuries I want for myself. Going back to line one, all of these things are a part of my future. Isn’t that what college is for after all, to prepare people for their own futures and what they bring? A university is not my future, it’s only the beginning of it.
Obstacles in our lives force us to better ourselves because of the lessons we learn. In April of 2015, I was struck with the realization that I was going to have to learn one of those tough lessons…and I was also struck with a six-foot-long wooden beam to the head. I was sitting on a bunk bed at a religious retreat when suddenly a girl dropped the bunk bed railing from the top bunk. Shortly after, I diagnosed with a concussion. However, this was not just my first or second concussion; it was my eighth. It seemed like I was just cursed with the worst luck in the world -- unable to escape this vicious cycle. The bunk bed railing led to a miserable three months of constant headaches, dizziness, and nausea. Unfortunately, the only feasible and
The road to success is not ever a consecutive straight paved. In order to succeed, you must face bumps and curves. Your willingness to accept failure because you know positive possibility could come out, and the way you react to failure determines your next step to success. With my personal experience of failure, I could recall the several times failing my math class test. Since I can remember math has never naturally come to me. Said by Galileo math is the language of the universe; for me, math is a language I just can’t grasp. As with math and I, I’ve consistently tried. I always get up and aspire once more for the best result, however, when it came to math, it was my downfall.
Taking a leap, going for the goal, achieving greatness; all these actions have one characteristic in common; courage. Courage helps by leading someone to take risks and break boundaries. “If you could get up the courage to begin, you have the courage to succeed” (David Viscott). But courage doesn't always line up with this certain example. Courage should not have to be seen as only succeeding, but having the will to take action, even if the results are not what an individual hopes for. The main question is what does courage truly mean and what are the true aspects of courage?