Category: Courage

The definition of courage can be defined in endless ways. In the novel, The Things They Carried, Tim O’Brien reveals the horror of the war through a series of stories, but beyond that he also offers his own insight into the nature of courage and fear. As you read the novel, and get deeper into each story you are almost able to imagine and feel the experience as if you were actually there. As a reader you begin to think if you were in these situations would you make the same decisions or do something different. Making a decision can be exceedingly tough, more when pressure is included. For example, in the beginning of the novel, O’Brien was sent a letter that he would be enlisted to fight in the Vietnam war.

The war was not something O’Brien had wanted any part in or believed to be worth his time. Tim believed he was too good for the war since he held great educational accomplishments, and expectations. When he had received his letter he had a hard time deciding if he should go and become a solider or flee his situation and leave everything behind. For days he tried to resist making the choice, that he soon began to resent his hometown for putting this kind of pressure on him. In the end, O’Brien left to become a soldier because he feared if he did not his reputation would be shattered and he would be perceived as weak. In the novel, Tim O’Brien can be viewed as a coward for deciding to go into the war due to his pride.

Throughout the novel, Tim O’Brien displays an act where he lacks courage because of his concern of what people might think of him. However, Tim O’Brien was not a coward because he tried to runaway to Canada to escape the draft. He was not a coward because he went to war and killed people, or because he had a fear of disappointing his family. Tim O’Brien was a coward at the moment when he was along the border of Canada, “Right then, with the shore so close, I understood that I could not do what I should do. I would not swim away from my hometown and my country and my life…I would not go to the war — I would kill and maybe die — because I was embarrassed not to.’’ (O’Brien 55) This is when Tim O’Brien becomes, The Coward. As a reader, you can see that Tim O’Brien actually considers himself a coward because he could not bring himself together to have the courage, and defy the military draft. He could not follow by what he wanted, Tim choosing to go the war because he had a fear of shame and embarrassment reveals he is a character who has a lot of concern of what people might think of him. He would rather allow himself to have the possibility to die than to face shame and criticism.

Embarrassment of what one wants for the betterment induces the process of having courage. It is brave to face shame. It is brave to stand alone. It is brave to be selfish. Society implies an image even to this day that fighting in the war equals bravery. However, in the case of Tim O’Brien he possessed the potential to have bravery if only he had obeyed himself and ran from the war. For Tim O’Brien achieving bravery comes from the inability to set aside embarrassment. In a book, Tim O’Brien had also written, If I Die in a Combat Zone, he also states that the soldiers he had knew should not have been seen as courageous heroes because in many ways they were not. “When one goes to war, fights, and dies for a worthy and noble eause, we may call him courageous. But Vietnam, O’Brien says, is a war without reason — a ‘wrong war’ — not a war against evil, or fought in the name of a trusted Nation or God.” (Ooms 3)

In the things they carried, the character Tim O’Brien struggles to become a soldier or be seen as a hero in any matter. He did not stand up for what he believed in and refused to fight in a war that he did not understand or believe, but joined the military anyway. For this act, Tim O’Brien can be considered as a coward. Having courage has the power to either possess you as a hero or leave you to feel isolated. Doing what is needed to ensure you are bettering yourself is what having courage should be.

Courage is standing up or fighting for what one believes in, even when the odds are against that courageous individual. Courage is one of the most significant themes in To Kill a Mockingbird. In the novel, Harper Lee shows both types of courage using the characters throughout the book, as well as illustrating her own way of writing this novel to demonstrate all characteristics of courage. She shows actions taken by characters in a courageous act even when Lee makes it clear to the reader that the character has no chance of winning. She also shows the other type of courage, which is standing up for what one believes in and standing up for what they think is right, even when others might threaten that believer and talk badly towards them because of their opinion.

The first type of courage that Lee demonstrates within her novel, is when Atticus Finch accepts the arrangement of Tom Robinson’s case, knowing that he would most certainly not come out victorious. Trying to defend a blackman in a courthouse full of white and racist people was almost guaranteed the defendant coming out of that courthouse empty handed. Not only was this case an automatic defeat, but it was also risky and dangerous. During that particular period of time in the world, defending a black man like Tom Robinson made Finch’s family become a possible target for the town’s people to go at. Standing with a black man and accusing white folks as guilty for falsely accusing Tom Robinson would cause ruckus within the community and make certain people question their trust for them and make them want to threaten them or others that are close to them. The only reason Atticus takes this case is because he won’t take actions that go against his beliefs of what he thinks is right. The town’s people turn their anger towards Atticus for defending Tom Robinson, but with the hesitation that the testimonies showed during the court trial, any reasonable and sensible person could see that the Ewells’ testimonies were full of holes and lies, and could realize Tom didn’t commit the crime after all, pursuing him as innocent. The racial prejudices in the 1930s let most whites mentally judge this black man guilty. It takes courage for Atticus to do the right thing and stand up for this black man in a court full of white and racist people.

At the beginning of the novel, Jem shows that his idea of courage is just going over and touching the Radley house without getting caught. However, as the story progresses, he shows his courage by facing the mob and refusing to obey Atticus for the first time in his life because he believes that it is the right thing to stay with Atticus and make sure that he doesn’t get harmed or possibly killed. “In the midst of this strange assembly, Atticus stood trying to make Jem mind him. ‘I ain’t going,’ was his steady answer,” (204). Jem stood up for what he believed to be right, which was protecting Atticus and making sure he didn’t get hurt, which is courageous.

Alone with Atticus and Jem, few female characters showed their courage in the novel, but one did show courage in a very great way. It’s not a physical kind of courage like facing down a mad dog and killing it in one shot. Harper Lee did a great job to show the mental courage through Mrs. Dubose’s character. This rude, prejudiced old lady, who is addicted to morphine, showed great courage by succeeding in stopping her morphine addiction right before she died. “Mrs. Dubose won, all ninety-eight pounds of her. According to her views, she died beholden to nothing and nobody. She was the bravest person I ever knew,” (115). By saying this, Atticus shows that he wanted to show Jem what courage really is without having a gun in your hand and shooting at something that could be dangerous. “I wanted you to see something about her. I wanted you to see what real courage is, instead of getting the idea that courage is a man with a gun in his hand,” (115). Mrs. Dubose’s strong courage and perseverance got her through her strong addiction to morphine, which shows a great example of a courageous act. Unlike Mrs. Dubose, Miss Maudie has her own inner strength. Stephanie Crawford is the neighborhood gossip throughout the novel. The majority of the information the children receive about Boo Radley at the beginning of the novel come from Miss Crawford. Miss Crawford claims that she knows Boo’s entire story. She tells them Boo’s family history and several stories that depict Boo Radley as an insane individual.

“Stephanie Crawford even told me once she woke up in the middle of the night and found him looking in the window at her. I said what did one do, Stephanie, move over in the bed and make room for him? That shut her up a while,”(60). This quote from Miss Maudie shows real courage because she wants to stop the fake gossip from Miss Stephanie, so she steps up and says something, which takes courage to do so. When Miss Stephanie tries to spread the tales, Miss Maudie rather uses her sharp tongue to fight Miss Stephanie back than to just refuse to listen. Miss Maudie has no fear of others’ gossip, she even talks about it just like a jock.

Furthermore, Harper Lee showed her own bravery by writing the novel. In the 1940s, there is no single person, group, or institution put civil rights on the national agenda. Challenging racial prejudice in the United States was a unsettingly undertaking. Harper Lee manifested her idea of courage when she was in college. She wrote short stories and other works about racial injustice, a rarely mentioned topic on such campuses at the time. Lee moved to New York City in 1950, and spent two and a half years writing To Kill a Mockingbird. In her creation process, Lee had become so frustrated for a while. She tossed the manuscript out the window into the snow, and her agent made her retrieve it. Finally, the book was published on July 11, 1960, but the editorial team said that Lee could probably only sell several thousand copies. Moreover, in 1966, Lee wrote a letter in response to the attempts of a school board to ban To Kill a Mockingbird as “immoral literature.”

In To Kill a Mockingbird, courage is a prominent quality among the characters. Harper Lee used her own way to show the readers that courage is the strength in the face of pain, is the inner desire to do what is right. Whether it is doing something courageous because of what you believe in, or if you do something courageous without even knowing it, courage is usually defined as acting despite fear it is actually a much more complex attribute. Depending on the situation that an individual is actually in, they will have the opportunity to demonstrate courage in a number of different ways, whether that means taking a stand and speaking out against injustice or physically overcoming something that triggers a fearful response.

“Life shrinks or expands in proportion to one’s courage.” Meaning you have the opportunity to have the courage to do something so great, no matter if it’s selfless. It can either open new opportunities or it can go south. Either way true courage comes with perseverance. It takes dedication and motivation. Have the bravery, what it takes to have courage.

In the future, all books begin to go extinct. There was all lost hope for books. Firefighters jobs weren’t to save lives from fires, their jobs were to burn any books in sight or that were found. The government felt that they were threats, by that meaning mind openers. Everyone who attended school were all the same. They didn’t teach everyone how to be different, or understand what they read. A specific man named Guy Montag thought otherwise. He actually been keeping books on the low. He is a fireman. He’s doing the opposite of his job. Montag personally thinks, what’s so bad about books? So he went to go tell professor Faber about the books. Montag told Faber he couldn’t tell anyone. The reasoning for all of this happening is because everyone is under the government control. They’re all brainwashed. Everyone is acting as if they’re robots. Professor Faber reads books and understands them. Without anyone knowing of course. So there’s no risk of him getting caught. Montag asked Faber for help. For the understanding of books obviously. Then Faber reads and discusses The Book of Job from the Bible. As Montag starts understanding books, he starts gaining confidence and courage to bring this fight to the government. As he should, that took bravery.

Another example of courage and perseverance is Hannah Montana, a big popstar. She rode in limos, had poperoxies, did concerts and all that good stuff. Even though she was a popstar, she also wanted an ordinary life. So she had a wig with a big dream. When the wig was off she was an average girl. Her name was Miley Stewart. She lived at a house by the beach. Had her two best friends. Oliver Oaken and Lily Trescott. As Miley began to get older it began to get a lot tougher to be Hannah. Her love life started to affect it. The fact that she couldn’t be two people at once. So she soon decided that enough was enough. She couldn’t take it anymore. She knew it was time. She showed up for a usual talk show. Before she performed a new song she wrote, Hannah… or should I say Miley revealed her secret. The whole world now knows about her. That took really strong courage of her to do.

There was once a prince in a far away land, he lived in a large shiny castle. He had anything he ever desired. Although he was spoiled and unkind. One snowy night an old beggar women arrived to the castle asking for a place to stay from the bitter cold, and in return she offered a single rose. He turned her down, then she transformed into a beautiful enchantress. She placed a powerful curse on him and the palace for his poor decisions, he turned into a monstrous, ugly beast. There for the curse can’t be broken unless he has true loves kiss. So his beauty has to be found within his heart. He has 21 years until the curse is permanent if its not broken. The petals fall yearly one by one. Belle is a girl who would want nothing more than adventure in her life. Her father is an inventor, they grew up in a small French village. Belle’s father Maurice has made his latest invention and was going to be off to the convention fair. As Belle was admiring the heaven like view, the horse her father rode to the fair came hurdling back with fear. Belle asked to take her to him. She arrived at this dusty, old, abandoned castle. Stepping into the castle with curiosity, she looks around to only see darkness. She finds herself walking slowly into a dark tower. She soo. hears her father cry out for her name “Belle.” She turns to him and grabs his hands as they feel cold as ice. She soon tries to get him out but the Beast appears. Belle then tells him that she will replace her fathers place in return for him to get home because he was sick. The Beast agreed but handled it rudely. She despised the Beast for him being selfish and uncaring may the time. He threw her father into a dusty old enchanted carriage that had life. For her to throw away her own life away for her fathers well being, that took a large amount of perseverance and courage.

True courage comes with perseverance. It takes dedication and motivation. Have the bravery, what it takes to have that courage. Just like the three examples ive shown. Hannah Montana, and Montag both had the courage to do what they did. Also Belle had the perseverance to help her father. And most of all the courage.

Since it is closely associated with Mars, Bloodstone naturally boosts its holder’s courage and determination with an abundant amount of masculine and fighting energy. It also stimulates the ground chakra to ground those who are spiritually adrift. Bloodstone gives us the power to get through our failures. It fuels us with determination to keep moving forward despite our mistakes, and instead see them as experiences to learn from. With this mindset, we will challenge ourselves more, which then helps us gain more strength, willpower, and courage. Wearing Bloodstone jewelry on a daily basis is a great reminder that we got whatever it takes to achieve our destiny.

Crystals to combine with Bloodstone for Enhanced Strength, Willpower, and Courage

Do you want to be stronger emotionally and spiritually? Do you want to have the courage or willpower to combat things beyond your control? There are some stones you can combine with Bloodstones to make your intentions manifest. Sunstones are known for their ability to bestow the wearer with the comforting warmth of the sun. This warmth helps dispel self-doubt, so you can keep moving forward. Combining the two stones will help you easily bounce back from your recent failures by revitalizing your strength and motivation.

Known as the stone of courage, Ruby helps you face your fears. It motivates you by boosting your mental concentration, thus helping you focus on your tasks. It is a stone worn by those who want to achieve their dreams. By pairing Ruby with the courage enhancing properties of Bloodstone, one will be granted a huge boost in courage which makes them fearless in the face of any challenge. As a stabilizing stone, Carnelian has the ability to renew your motivation and strength. It infuses you with courage while dispelling your doubts. Wearing one will help you strive for success. Pairing Bloodstone with Carnelian further grants the wearer with determination and helps you overcome your shortcomings.

Tiger’s eye is a fantastic stone to boost your determination. It can imbue the wearer with the combined energy of the earth and the sun to accomplish any task. Aside from that, it drives you to try new things by eliminating your self-doubt. With the boost of willpower from Bloodstone, their combination will increase your focus and aid you in achieving your goals.

How to use your Bloodstone to manifest and activate healing properties

I’ve mentioned above how you can use Bloodstones during meditation in a crystal grid. But there are other ways of incorporating Bloodstones in your crystal grid formation. You just have to reflect on your intentions and research the best gemstones for building your own grid. But aside from crystal grids, are there other ways to incorporate Bloodstones into your daily life and routine? Yes, there are.

One way is to use Bloodstone mala or prayer beads. These beads were originally used by Buddhist monks to keep track of their sutras or the repetition of their mantras. It’s usually composed of 108 beads, reflecting the sacred properties of that number in Indian and Buddhist practices. To use a mala, you can write up some affirmations and continually recite them while you meditate or as you work. Use the prayer beads as a guide to the number of repetitions.

Meanwhile, Bloodstone jewelry can also be used to enhance your willpower, self-confidence, and strength to face adversity. That’s why if you’re feeling down, maybe a Bloodstone pendant or waist chain can help cleanse the negative energy surrounding you. Another great way of using the Bloodstone gemstone is by using it in meditation. You can flip around a Bloodstone tumbled stone in your hand while meditating on your intentions. At the same time, you can also hold the crystal near the base of your spine, where your root chakra is, to help balance it. As long as you focus on your intentions, you’re sure to manifest them.

How to use Bloodstone for Feng Shui

In Feng Shui, Bloodstones are infused with wood energy. That means it contains the energy of growth, new beginnings, and health. Feng Shui states that Bloodstones are particularly helpful in enhancing vitality and growth. It’s also a great stone for cleansing and protecting a space.

Bloodstones are typically placed in your home when you’re starting a new project. Since it contains wood energy, Bloodstones should be placed in the east or southeast areas of a home so it can influence the family, health, and prosperity areas of your house. When done correctly, Bloodstones can bring good health and long life to the inhabitants of the home.

Bloodstone in Folklore and Ancient Times

There are a lot of stories and folklore surrounding Bloodstones. Accounts of its use in Ancient times vary, but one thing’s for sure–everyone’s entranced by its magical beauty.

Ancient Greek and Roman athletes are said to have used Bloodstones to enhance their endurance and physical strength, especially during public games. Ancient Egyptians, on the other hand, used these stones to give their soldiers a great advantage to overcome their enemies in battle. It’s also believed that if this stone resonates with you or speaks to you, you’re in a dangerous situation.

Ancient Ayurveda beliefs dictate that if this stone is ground into a fine powder, it can be used as an aphrodisiac that stimulates sexual stamina and passion.

Some people believe that the red spots on Bloodstones are droplets of Jesus Christ’s blood during the crucifixion. Others believed that Bloodstones predicted future events by altering weather. A handful even believed that the stone can turn a person invisible. No matter what the belief that surrounds Bloodstones is, this handful just proves that Bloodstones have a rich and colorful history.

How is Bloodstone formed?

Bloodstones are Silicates, particularly Chalcedonies of green jasper with iron oxide flecks. These stones have a hardness of 7 and are usually cut into cabochons. Bloodstones form at shallow depths and low precipitation from silica-rich ground waters in fractures and cavities. They are mined primarily in India but are also found in Australia, Brazil, China, Czech Republic, Russia, and the USA.

How do you care for your Bloodstone?

Crystals and stones need to be cleansed because the amount of energy they go through from the mining and shipping process can’t be healthy for them. Not only that, if they’re used regularly, they can accumulate negative energies that can potentially harm the user if not cleaned properly. So, how do you properly cleanse your crystals?

A popular method is using the light of the sun and moon. Most people cleanse their crystals on normal days and nights, while some wait for special days or nights with a full moon. To cleanse your crystal with natural light, set the stones out where moonlight and sunlight can touch them. Make sure they’re secured. Leave the stones out from midnight until 11 am, so they can bathe in the light of the sun and moon.

If you have larger crystals and Bloodstone stones, you can use Tibetan singing bowls or any source of pure sound you can get your hands on. The sound must be loud enough to encompass and bathe the stone. Do this for 5-10 minutes for as often as you need it.

Lastly, you can use sage or your favorite smudge sticks to purify your Bloodstone. Sage is a plant with many healing properties and is used to clear stones of inharmonious vibrations. You just have to light up your sage, transfer the stick to your non-dominant hand, and let the smoke envelop the stone for 30 seconds. If it’s been a while, you can do this for another 30 seconds more.

In conclusion

Bloodstones really are one of the most helpful stones out there. They help you stay on the ground instead of floating off into La-la Land, and they give you courage when courage just can’t be conjured.

It’s a stone that wants what’s best for the person no matter what circumstances they’re in. Bloodstone healing properties just prove how strong your life force and drive can be and supports you in everything. If anything, I’d call it my personal cheerleader in life. Does anyone agree?

Christopher Reeve once said, “Once You choose hope, Anything is possible.” According to this quote, I believe a considerable lot of us couldn’t carry on without the existence of hope within our hearts. For example, Life is unusual, hard and very disreputable now and again. Things leave hand and outside our ability to control everyday but hope enables us to keep the battle on and increases odds of improving our lives. Hope keeps our sights completely watchful for an improved future. It’s hard staying aware of the inward confidence during the most crucial occasions, but at the same time, the individuals who never quit hoping always rejoice at the end. Courage on the other hand, then again is a character that everybody needs. It is the capacity to confront one’s dread in spite of what deterrents may lie in an individual’s way. All through the ages, our way of life is loaded up with accounts of boldness that fill in as a method for urging us to be daring. Probably the best case of fearlessness is David and Goliath, a story where a young man crushes a huge Palestine whom the whole Israel army was afraid of. Courage can be observed in either physical or moral states but it all takes mental determination to be realized. It can be determined through perseverance, integrity compassion, leadership, among others. For example, this great character encourages business people to risk while investing, or heroes embarking on hard tasks. Regardless of what lifestyle or where anybody lives, It takes hope and courage for all people with dreams to achieve their goals

All through my stay in America, I just recall my host father being called to jury obligation once. It was quite a long while prior, and he made it far simultaneously. It arrived at where he was in the meeting with just the court authorities to check whether he was a satisfactory fit. They uncovered insights regarding the case to him and afterward, he began expressing more realities about it back at them. To the stun of everybody in the room, he knew things about the case that they hadn’t let him know yet. Incidentally, this specific case was that concerning the homicide of our family companion just months prior. At the point when my host father began to hear what case he was being considered for, he associated it immediately and revealed to them that consequently he ought not to be put on the jury and he was given up. ​It took mental fortitude for him to do this, in spite of the fact that he never thought to be something else. He could have kept his mouth shut and got himself on the jury so he could impact the decision to see the guilty party as liable and vindicate our companion. Rather, he approached with his predisposition and made the best choice. At that point, he simply needed to trust that equity would be served and God would present to all of our harmonies.

Another person I can think of that was a big example of hope and courage is Nelson Mandela. He was an activist that stood against white supremacy and oppression of the native South Africans. He exemplifies hope not only in regard to himself but also for the people he stood for. He had courage beyond all others that he took a stand when no one could stand for the south African natives and fought for his people’s freedom. Despite being detained for so many years, Nelson Mandela still calmly practiced his objectives of obliterating politically-sanctioned racial segregation in South Africa with courage, and hope for the betterment of his people’s situation. This turned into the main guide to such a significant number of pioneers in the entire world. Mandela was a legend in view of his fearlessness, expectation, and quality that he used to battle against politically-sanctioned racial segregation. He was courageous since he battled for what he accepted was correct. He gave hope to his people through his courage because he generally made the best decision and affected his kin alongside numerous others. I am convinced that each challenge Nelson Mandela confronted was a test that made him a superior individual since he never surrendered.

Almost certainly life is a strong combat area. In any case, it’s not all that terrible either. Attempting to keep our eyes loaded with dreams, Hope and Courage not only gives you the strength to conquer our fears but also for brighter days after. I believe that spending time stressing over tough days is terrible. Hope keeps us positive that tomorrow will be a better day. We simply must have the courage to confront our challenges seeking better outcomes which encourages us to remain positive in all conditions.

‘Courage is the most important of all the virtues because without courage you can’t practise any other virtue consistently.’ Maya Angelou. In order to prevent the failings of history, it is essential to have courage to speak out when a patient or practice are put in jeopardy or courage is absent (Cummings, 2015). The aim of this essay is to explore and appraise the concept of courage within the clinical setting of midwifery using Walker and Avant’s eight step model. This essay will focus on a case based in a clinical setting to demonstrate the concept analysis that will be examined through the use of Enquiry Based Learning (EBL). It is recommended by Fitness for Practice (1999) as an efficient scheme within pre-registration education in order to aid students when linking theory to practice. Furthermore, it supports learning techniques and teamwork development.

Within this essay, the declaration that there is no breach of confidentiality is paramount. In relation to the case study, all of the identifiable information has been removed and no personal information has been distributed with any unauthorised personnel. I understand my responsibility of anonymity and confidentiality as a student midwife (Nursing and Midwifery Council [NMC], 2015).

The purpose of Walker and Avant (2011) concept analysis is to advance and enhance practice. A concept analysis is a “limited exploration … investigat[ing] ‘what is’ rather than ‘what ought to be’” (Barnum, 1990, p. 101).

The ability to differentiate a concept from another stems from the systematic process of concept analysis. Walker & Avant (2011) emphasise that the misuse, overuse of concepts in practice can be aided by the systematic process of concept analysis. Additionally, it can also elucidate concepts that have not been clearly defined or are inaccurate within a theory.

Analysing the concept of courage is multifaceted, as there has been limited research on it’s influence in practice despite being a fundamental virtue. There is limited research and knowledge in regards to courage in practise, even though having been acknowledged as a crucial element of care (Lindh et al., 2010; Spence, 2004; Cummings and Bennett, 2012). Furthermore, courage has many different aspects; physical, social, moral, emotional, intellectual and spiritual. Which definition should be incorporated in midwifery practice? An exploration into the plethora of definitions allows one to understand the concept.

‘Courage enables us to do the right thing for the people we care for, to speak up when we have concerns and to have the personal strength and vision to innovate and to embrace new ways of working’. (Cummings and Bennett, 2012). Courage can further be identified as an emotional strength entailing “the exercise of will to accomplish goals in the face of opposition, external or internal” (Peterson & Park, 2004, p. 437).

An aspect of courage is moral courage which is a trait that is highly respected. This type of courage is demonstrated during challenging ethical dilemmas by individuals who disregard personal risk and adversity. One may aim to take the right approach regardless that other individuals may decide on a less ethical behaviour approach that can also involve no action being taken at all (Lackman, 2009; Sekerka & Bagozzi, 2007.

Defining attributes, similar to signs and symptoms, are critical characteristics that help to differentiate one concept from another related concept and clarify its meaning (Walker & Avant, 2005). The defining attributes of courage are caring, knowledge, overcoming, advocacy and empowerment. It is these keywords that appear frequently in the NMC code of conduct (2015) and are reiterated throughout midwifery practice.

A concept analysis according to Walker and Avant (2005) includes a model case as a part of the eight steps which incorporates all attributes that define the concept. A model case of courage within midwifery is discussed in the case study below.

At the end of a night shift on labour ward, midwife Cassie was directed to take handover from midwife Millie. Cassie introduced herself to the woman in labour, Nadine and explained that she will be taking over care. Handover was undertaken with hushed tones in the corner of the room. Millie handed over the situation, background, assessment and recommendation. Cassie was informed that Nadine was not fluent in English, but had a general understanding and was able to express herself. From Millie’s assessments, Nadine was 7 centimetres dilated, contracting 3 in 10 for 60 seconds and was “struggling to cope”. Therefore, Millie felt it necessary to discuss the next steps of a caesarean section with Nadine and her husband. The necessary paperwork was gathered and to be completed indicating consent for the procedure. The premedication has also been prepared and left with midwife Cassie. Handover was complete and midwife Millie wished the best for Nadine. Cassie took the liberty of reading through Nadine’s antenatal notes and her birth plan which she went over to discuss with Nadine. They discussed all of the options and Cassie carefully listened to Nadine’s thoughts and requests. She strongly wanted a vaginal birth using Entonox and controlled breathing. However, she was feeling disempowered, and thought her body couldn’t do it on her own. Midwife Cassie decided to support this woman. She went and spoke with her senior supervisor to advocate for Nadine and her choice for a vaginal delivery. After explaining her rationale behind her decision, Cassie’s senior supervisor approved of this decision and commended her courageous attitude. With a positive attitude, Cassie said, “this is a new day and we’re going to have this baby!”. Cassie assessed the situation, clinical need and history determined no risk to Nadine or her baby. Nadine was taken off CTG and was intermittently auscultated after every contraction. Cassie encouraged Nadine to mobilise and use the birthing ball and try different birthing positions. A calm and less clinical environment was created by dimming the lights and allowing Nadine to tune into her body and labour. About two hours later, post vaginal examination conducted with consent, Nadine was fully dilated and actively pushing, having the baby naturally and safely.

In order to reinforce and omit repetition, Walker & Avant (2005) suggest five additional model cases. These include invented, borderline, contrary, illegitimate and related cases. A contrary model case would follow the same scenario as above, however, with a different outcome after handover. This indicates the absence of the defining attribute of courage. It demonstrates what the concept is not (Walker & Avant, 2005).

…Handover was complete and midwife Millie wished the best for Nadine. Cassie took the liberty of reading through Nadine’s antenatal notes and her birth plan which she went over to discuss with Nadine. She strongly wanted a vaginal birth using Entonox and controlled breathing. However, she was feeling disempowered, and thought her body couldn’t do it on her own. Midwife Cassie reiterated that the clinical decision was with the consideration of her and her baby’s best interest. Nadine felt as if she didn’t have a choice and agreed to the caesarean. The paperwork was completed and Nadine was prepared to be taken to theatre. Nadine was accompanied by her partner. In theatre, the spinal anaesthesia procedure was unsuccessful. A general anaesthetic was decided by the doctors as it was indicated on the CTG that there was fetal distress and decelerations. After the caesarean section, Nadine missed out on bonding with her baby and early skin-to-skin contact. This caused difficulty to establish breastfeeding and a strong bond with her baby. During the postnatal period, Nadine was diagnosed with postpartum depression.

It should be highlighted that the case studies above do not contain any identifiable factors. Therefore, all names and portrayals are fictional. Antecedents are events or incidents which must be present before the occurrence of the concept (Walker and Avant, 2005). Thus, the antecedents of moral courage entail rationalism, individual excellence, acquiring academic and professional qualification, support, and internal and external barriers (Sadooghisal, 2016).

Professional excellence is an outcome of moral courage and it includes creating peace of mind, the nurse’s proper functioning and decision making and providing a provision of professional care.

Therefore, this can be related to the model case by presuming Cassie is a highly qualified and knowledgeable midwife who is able to rationalise and support her decisions. She is able to identify the ethical dilemma and decide to advocate for Nadine. It is demonstrated what could potentially occur if the antecedents had not occurred in the above contrary case. Ferrell & Coylle (2008), state that in order for a healthcare professional to be able to advocate for a patient, one must experience some level of suffering or ‘loss of control’.

Additionally, Maguire et al (2000) strongly advocate courses include training surrounding leadership, decision-making and teambuilding. This training could potentially allow junior midwives to develop qualities that can be linked with courage which must be pursued as deliberately as the acquisition of clinical skills and knowledge.

Consequences are the events or incidents that occur as the outcome of the concept (Walker & Avant, 2011). The fundamental consequence of courage is enabling midwives to make an ethically correct decision for the women that are being cared for and advocating for them. Furthermore, from training proposed by Maguire et al., (2000), potential consequences that ensure persistent improvement in care standard could be qualities including the demonstration of inter- and intraprofessional working, advocating women’s choices and the priority of care needs.

Antecedents and consequences help to further enhance the defining attributes. The provision of courageous care and incrimination of midwives can often be affected by a number of reasons. Mollart et al., (2013) propose a major burden midwives are faced with is burnout or work-related stress. It was discovered that the way in which midwives dealt with ‘burnout’ was influenced by long shifts, looking after more women with complex psychosocial issues and working many years in the profession.

Additionally, an evident association was seen between friction with supervisor, doctor as well as with other midwives. This could be related to a lack of courage. Therefore, support systems must be present to ensure all healthcare professionals provide care (Hewison et al., 2016) as this in turn promotes a healthy and caring environment for everyone and more importantly, the patients.

A factor that has an increasing influencing on the delivery of courageous care is time restrictions. Hall (2013) suggests that midwives have more cases that are complex to oversee, an increased workload and have a higher birth rate which can be a strain from ambition timescales, lack of midwives and overstretched resources.

Taking into consideration these factors, it can be foreseen that a healthcare professional will be challenged to provide courageous care if necessary and be able to take time to advocate for the patient under their care.

Empirical referents are indicators that are used to measure the occurrence of the concept to validate its existence (Walker & Avant, 2011). In short, the defining attributes should reflect the empirical referents. However, it should be acknowledged that this is not always the case as abstracts concepts may not always echo the defining attributes. Courage is a concept that has an elaborate amount of different as aspects. Therefore, making it challenging to defined due to its plethora of interpretations.

Woodward (2004) presented a study developing a measurement of courage. The Courage Scale assesses a person’s reported willingness to act in meaningful situations where he or she is experiencing the fear that results from a sense of vulnerability. In such situations, there may be the stark realization that control is lost, commitment is wavering, and the challenge presented will likely lead to failure.

Although there is a lack of research and literature into courage in the clinical area of midwifery, it is still considered a fundamental virtue. Could courage be the basis of different virtues such as advocacy or empowerment? Although not as prominent as compassions or communication, these keywords are still imbedded into the code stating “encourage and empower people to share in decisions about their treatment and care” or “act as an advocate for the vulnerable, challenging poor practice…” (NMC, 2015).

Enquiry Based Learning (EBL) Reflection:

Enquiry Based Learning (EBL) is a reflective task which was used in order to guide our presentations and will be studied thoroughly.

EBL magnifies one’s analytical skills and critical thinking development (Savin-Baden, 2003). Additionally, it inspires an individual to actively be a part of their own personal learning (Prosser & Trigwell, 1999) and it boosts team building and collaborations (Albanese & Mitchell, 1993).

A wide range of model of reflections have the potential to be used within the EBL process. For this essay, the reflections will be formatted as Driscoll’s Model of Reflection (1994) which incorporated three stages.

What?

All students were directed to choose a concept that they considered interesting from the six C’s. We were all then put in groups based on our choice of concept. As the group came together, we drew our ideas together to prepare a concept analysis using Walker & Avant’s eight steps (2005). At our original meeting, we reflected on our ideas and assigned tasks to each other which we were personally interested in. As a group, we organised to meet on the slots allocated after lectures to confirm we were working up to the expectations we had set as a group and individually.

So What?

At first, the idea of the concept analysis was difficult to grasp. We chose to pursue a concept analysis in courage as we believed this concept is undervalued and overlooked yet vital within in midwifery. This proved to be challenging as we struggled to find suggestion literature to develop our concept analysis. Although not a central ethos, we believed courage is a fundamental virtue which overlaps with all the other remaining six 6’s (DoH, 2012). Additionally, we were further challenged as group due to members changing group. Therefore, we had to reconstruct our tasks a few times before we established our scaffolding as a group.

The EBL process allowed me to understand the significance of deadlines, a group member’s working speed and learning, and deadlines which may potentially influence the final product, in this case, the presentation (Carter, 2013). Furthermore, the EBL process has been an insightful task as I have understood that my work should always be accomplished and composed to a standard that allows for coherent teamwork as it can potentially hinder the work of the members in the group.

Now What?

To support our research in the light of lack of literature, additional model case studies would have aided in comparing and contrasting between the examples of model. This would have helped to test our attributed further. Throughout research, the concepts of empowerment and advocacy were came across on various occasions. To further test our attributes, we could have compared model cases of these concepts to further test our defining attributes.

I believe it would have been helpful to have researched what a concept analysis consists of to further our understanding. This would have allowed us to delegate tasks between the group according to our strengths and weaknesses.

The format of Driscoll’s Model of Reflection was easy to understand and reflect the process of putting together the presentation. It is essential to recognise that although reflective models differentiate from each other, they should have the same reflective outcome. Furthermore, all reflective models have strengths and weaknesses (Bulman, 2013).

Some may argue that Driscoll’s reflective model is too simplistic, however, I believe that all models are great but one will choose their own reflection model based on their own preferences and professional needs (Nakielski, 2005).

References

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26. Ferrell, B.R. and Coyle, N., 2008. The nature of suffering and the goals of nursing. Oxford University Press.

When the word ‘courage’ rings in the air, most people think of Superman or a Disney character. They may think of notable and often times famous people. The word courage has been stereotyped to bring images of war and fame among the minds of the conventionally thinking. But courage is so, so much more than that. Courage is far more often hidden within the actions of inconspicuous characters, and is the foundation of a morally right character. Courage is rooted deeply and motivates multiple actions throughout To Kill A Mockingbird. Courage is behind the events of a young girl standing up for her father, a white man defending a black man in a racist environment, to one man leaving his comfort zone to help others.

While one may presume that a young naive girl may not display acts of audaciousness and courage, Jean Louise (Scout) Finch counters this belief on multiple events. Now and then, her courage may first be perceived as defiance. This can be exemplified in the passage when Scout states “[Francis] crooned softly, ‘N****r-lover…’ This time, I split my knuckle to the bone on his front teeth.” (Lee 112). This unburies the true morals of Scout, and shows her truly courageous character by shining light on her will to be deemed defiant in the name of defending her father. She is willing to take on any punishment necessary, because she would rather hurt herself than hurt her father’s reputation and honorable name. Punishments are frightening for a young child, but the entire fact that she was willing to face it, and receive not even an ounce of personal gain reflects on her candidly courageous character.

In order to maintain popularity and respect, many citizens of Maycomb would not dare to rise against the popular and accepted opinion, despite having contrasting moral values. Atticus courageously breached from this sociological accepted norm, as Atticus knew that the discrimination and pure racism that Tom Robinson faced was wrong, and was going to defend Tom Robinson at any cost. This strong-willed mind set and courageousness can be instantiated throughout the plot multiple times, but one example is stated as “Do you defend n*****s, Atticus?’ I [Scout] asked him that evening” (Lee 99). Atticus’s reply was simply “Of course I do. Don’t say n****r, Scout. That’s common” (Lee 99). Atticus knew morally that, in the eyes of the law, all men are created equally. Atticus was aware of all he could lose defending Tom Robinson, and shows courage by taking the risk anyway. Atticus did not postulate that Tom Robinson should be given a discriminated trial simply because of the color of his skin, despite the beliefs and attempted influences of racist Maycomb citizens.

The zone in which one is familiar with will always be the most comfortable. A young neighbor of the Finch’s house was detained in his house for years, and grew to be a social outcast. Myths spread like wildfire through the town regarding the mysterious man. However, the neighbor, Arthur (Boo) Radley, courageous left all he’s come to know to rescue the Finch kids from Bob Ewell, in addition to putting his own safety on the line. Scout states “…Mr.Ewell was tryin’ to squeeze me to death, I reckon…then somebody yanked Mr.Ewell down” (Lee, 361), to which Mr. Tate inquired “Who was it?” (Lee 362). Scout goes on to say “Why there he is, Mr. Tate, he can tell you his name” (Lee, 362). Scout provides a physical description of the figure before stating “our neighbor’s image blurred with my sudden tears. ‘Hey Boo,’ I said” (Lee 362). These excerpts from the passage show that it was Arthur Radley who saved the Finch children that day, and it was Arthur Radley who left his comfort zone and risk his personal safety. This displays true courageousness by the risk and unfamiliar scenario Boo threw himself in to save the children.

In conclusion, courageousness motivates many major events throughout To Kill A Mockingbird. Courage can define and show aspects of a character that may have been overlooked, or otherwise unperceived. Without a shadow of a doubt, traits of courageousness and intrepidity were exhibited by the actions of Jean Louise Finch, Atticus Finch and Arthur (Boo) Radley, alongside many other characters in To Kill A Mockingbird. Courage made the events of a young girl standing up for her father, a white man defending a black man in a racist environment, to one man leaving his comfort zone to help others possible.

​There are different meanings of courage to each person; it depends on how you interpret it. Based from Cambridge Dictionary, Courage is the ability to control fear and to be willing to deal with something that is dangerous, difficult or unpleasant. There are also 4 types of courage based from Crowin connect website. The first one is the moral courage, it means that standing up and acting when injustices occur, human rights are violated or when persons are treated unfairly. The second one is Disciplined Courage, it means remaining steadfast, strategic, and deliberate in the face of inevitable setbacks and failures for the greater good. The third one is Intellectual courage, it means challenging ld assumptions and acting to make changes based on new learnings, understandings and insights leaned from experiences. And the last one is the Empathetic Courage; it means that acknowledging personal biases and intentionally moving away from them in order to vicariously experience the trials and triumphs of others. It will still depend on people on how they take courage in their personal life.

​Courage is present in our everyday life. Courage is already part of my everyday encounter to people especially in school. Many students have fear in speaking in front of many people but they are pushing themselves to conquer their fear in a way that, every reporting task that is assigned to them, they do it with all their heart and they are doing their very best to deliver it properly, because this fear has nothing to do with their life, it will just bring them down. At first, conquering fear is really hard but it turns out good, especially when students get to senior high stage where in they do all the talking and discussing the topic and this is where their courage takes them. It takes them to where they are today, a student who is not afraid to be in front of many people. Without the courage to conquer the fear of speaking in front of many people, the communication skills of the student won’t be developed. The advantage of being courageous to a student is that, it is part of their character development; it made them a person as what they are today. Without taking risk to fight what frightens the students, for sure they will be stuck to their old self and undeveloped self and their life will be miserable.

​Courage really builds ones personality especially when life is tough. It takes time to be courageous but in the process of going there, without us knowing, courage is already takes place in the process. Don’t lose hope in everything. Conquering fear is better than regretting so better risk it out for the better outcome than regretting the moment you lost. There will always be a bright future ahead; it will just take one brave soul to conquer all the challenges and to be courageous to see it.

Courage is the mental state in different circumstances, and it showed by physical action. It means how we react to different situations. It is an identity that everyone wants. Courage is not the ability that a person builds in his/herself it is a function of our body. Moreover, courage is the thing that helps people to overcome their fears and achieve their goals. Everyone wants to become more courageous because brave people are always successful and achieve their goals. There are also movies, stories, and many books to motivate people to be courageous. Courage is not limited to physical power it is also about our decisions and taking risks financially. I also believe that we should become brave and do what we want instead of thinking.

We all have a lot of problems in our life like our studies, jobs, fear of losing someone beloved, and many more. These all problems are common, but the diverse thing is how we tackle these problems. Courage is not limited to just doing heroic acts if you are not physically strong you are not brave it is linked to all our daily actions and when we try something new. If I take my example as I migrate from India to Canada for my studies and it is totally new environment for me because in India I complete high school and at that time I live with my parents and also in my own house and almost all things manage my parents for me like my school fees, daily costs and many more. I was dependent on my parents at that time and I was in my comfort zone but migration from India to Canada was a courageous thing for me because I left my comfort zone and expand it and now I also manage my daily expenses and live independently. Leaving my home and parents was a daring thing for me because by doing this I make myself mentally strong and control my emotions. Furthermore, there are also many jobs in which a person really makes his/her self brave like army, fire-fighter and so on. In these jobs, a person should mentally and physically strong because they always work in difficult situations and save people’s lives and do adventures things like underwater diving and also gutsy. If we think about persons with disabilities, then we think how difficult their lives are, but these persons are brave because they never think they are disabled instead of they make themself mentally strong and achieve their goals. In the Bollywood movie Rocky Handsome, the hero is trying to save a little girl who is his neighbor he also has a lot of problems in his own life but he overcome them and help her and always try to live happily and never show his problems to others.

However, courage is not always about the physical features of bravery it is also about mental and emotional. Sometimes in life, we need to take decisions that are sometimes life-changing. Doubtless, they are difficult and risky. Mark Zuckerberg is the inventor of Facebook social media site on which he start working in his college days to complete this project he dropped college and completed the Facebook project probably this decision was difficult for him but that courageous action help him to change his life and make him famous in the world. There are many other examples of many famous people whose decisions make them famous and change their life. Stephen Hawking was a famous scientist but becoming a scientist was not easy for him because he was suffering from a serious disease that make his body disabled and push him toward death he refuses to live as a disabled person and he invent a machine with which he communicate with people and continue his career. This all happens by the courageous action of his life which totally changes his life if he accepts his disability and lives life without any goal then maybe he will not be famous and died as a poor disabled person, but his courageous action makes him famous. Moreover speaking for rights is also a courageous thing there is a lot of speaker who speak against the government and or any party from they want justice like in India when the English government tries to get control of India then freedom fighters like Bhagat Singh and many more against them and want them to leave their country and for this, they speak against the government which was a brave action on that time.

Finally, we can say that by doing courageous actions even if they are physical and mental we always take decisions beyond our comfort zone and enhance it. If we want to do something and achieve our goals, then we should believe in doing instead of thinking. We always do things outside our comfort zone and enhance them. If we think about the new job then it also is challenging for us because we need to find a new job and fit ourselves in a new environment, make new friends, and maybe the way of our work will also change.

In conclusion, courage is defined as the possibility of success in different situations it all depends on us how we tackle those problems and achieve our goals. Like all the above examples show clearly how doing courageous things change them. So, everyone should do something new even if the result is negative or positive does not matter but trying new things is always good and give us new experience.

References

1. The Six Attributes of Courage. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.psychologytoday.commindful-self-express/201208/the-six-attributes- courage.

General George S. Patton once said that “courage is fear holding on a minute longer”, a statement that seems natural coming from such a famous American hero. It’s easy to speak of courage when one has it and to write off fear as something that is easily dealt with. It’s far more difficult for the non-heroes of the world to define what courage is and to brush off their fears for long enough to find out. By simple definition, courage is the ability to face difficulty, pain, and danger without fear. But this does not truly reach the depths of courage, which as a concept is much deeper and harder to define than many realize.

The word courage comes from the Latin root cor, meaning heart, and the old French word courage. The middle English adaptation of the word into courage, with its modern meaning, occurred in the late fourteenth century (“Courage”). The modern definition assumes courage to be on a physical level. It is a vision of valorous and fearless mythological heroes fighting monsters and wars, facing impossible task after impossible task. These ideas are familiar and lend themselves to another word, bravery. Many people believe bravery and courage to be synonymous. At a first glance, the two are almost identical in definition, with only one notable difference. Bravery better describes a singular or limited number of acts of fearlessness, with common expressions like “what you did there was really brave” encompassing the meaning of the word. Courage is a character trait that some come by naturally and that others spend their entire lives trying to achieve. Unlike the one-sided modern definition many believe, Courage is an inner strength, one that is first and foremost vulnerable and bare-hearted. It is the ability to be unashamedly true to one’s self in all situations, even in the face of fears.

Courage is not living without fear, because courage feeds from fear. It has never required one to be a famous fighter or general, or a part of a global conflict. It does not require a deadly personal sacrifice or the sacrifice of others. Courage does not have one singular meaning, as it appears in all kinds of situations. There are six different kinds of courage: physical, social, intellectual, moral, emotional, and spiritual (“Six Types of Courage”). Physical courage is the combat prowess people often think of, heroes taking action in the face of harm and death. Social courage is overcoming the fears of exclusion, unpopularity, and rejection, to showcase one’s true self. Intellectual courage is the willingness to challenge ideas and speak out, even at the risk of being wrong or radical. The moral variant concerns one’s views of right and wrong and their steadfast nature even under the intense pressure of others. The emotional form is openness to the full spectrum of emotion, allowing both the positive and negative ones to be felt fully. Lastly, spiritual courage is being able to question faith and purpose in life, in both a religious manner and a non-religious one.

Courage in all its forms has always been the most crucial factor for change. In 30 AD, arguably the most influential figure of all time, Jesus Christ, was crucified for having the spiritual and intellectual courage to spread his ideas and faith to people all across the continent. His acts inspired similar ones in his followers and gained him an even greater following after his death, leading to the rise of Christianity. In more modern times, courage has redefined the livelihood of an entire race of people. During the 1960’s civil rights activists such as Rosa Parks and Martin Luther King Jr., who up until then had been ordinary citizens, gathered the courage to push for social change and equality. Their actions ultimately resulted in the successful change of the U.S Constitution. This doesn’t mean that the everyday forms of courage are any less impactful. The courage shown by even a regular person can change lives and even save them. A teenager could have the moral courage to speak out against a bully, even a popular one, and side with a hurting classmate, preventing them from falling into suicidal tendencies. A man on his way to work can have the physical courage to put himself in danger to save a distracted stranger from being run over by a car. A closed-off woman can have the emotional courage to be vulnerable and cry in front of her family for the first time in ages. All it takes is one tiny second of overcoming fear to make a difference.

In the end, even with dictionaries, quotes from respected generals, and the works of philosophers and scholars, courage remains an intangible concept that many struggles to define. Above all else, it stems from vulnerable self-acceptance, not some impossible standard of strength and fearlessness. On many occasions, it’s a simple decision made in a split second, with no perceived notion of valor or heroism to be found. It has long been depicted as one of the most desired traits of humanity, one that has the potential to be found within every single person in the world. The ideas of courage have stood the test of time and will continue to live on, as humans will always be able to find the ability to have the courage within their hearts.

Works Cited

1. “Courage (n.).” Index, www.etymonline.com/word/courage.
2. Patton, George S. “George S. Patton Quotes.” BrainyQuote, Xplore, www.brainyquote.com/quotes/george_s_patton_104742.
3. “The Six Types of Courage.” Lion’s Whiskers, www.lionswhiskers.com/p/six-types-of-courage.html.