It’s hard to believe my journey of courage started ten years ago this month.
In January of 2010 I lost my job. At the time I remember thinking that I would be out of work for maybe a month or two before finding new employment. In spite of hearing and reading the news reports of how bad the economy was, I had no idea of the impact that would have on me.
Over the course of the next couple of years I continued to look for work but was unsuccessful. In February of 2011 my wife lost her job as well. We went through all of our savings. We put our home up for sale as the housing market plummeted. We sold it just after making the last payment we could afford. Fortunately, we didn’t have to go into short sale or foreclosure.
Upon the sale of our home in June of 2011 we had no jobs, no place to live and less than 10k to our name. I’d been in intense counseling for some time and was diagnosed with situational depression. It was during this counseling and time of depression I became aware of the role fear had played in much of my life and the need to begin to be more courageous.
As I would attend job networking groups during this dark time I would often hear others in the same situation as me talk about their fears or what they were afraid of. I thought I was the only one.
Journaling was a big part of my counseling. Through this process I began to put together my thoughts on my fears and my need for courage. About eighteen months into this abyss I asked the leader of one of these job networking groups if I could make a presentation on what I was discovering on my journey to courage. She graciously agreed.
Out of this very bleak time in our lives my business, Cultivate Courage, was born.
As I look back over the last decade I am grateful for what I/we went through. Without going through the darkness I wouldn’t be able to do what I do today in sharing my story of courage and the opportunity we all have to be courageous every day. I wouldn’t have had the opportunities to have others share their stories with me that I often don’t even feel worthy of hearing.
Early on in this journey the Bible verse Joshua 1:9 became a foundation for me that continues to this day. “Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous; do not be afraid, do not be discouraged, for I the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.”
In reviewing the last decade I can see how God was with me even in the darkest of times. I can see how He allowed the challenges of that time to help me to recognize the need for courage in my life. I can see how He has used my journey to work through me to help others recognize their need to courageously face their fears.
My encouragement to you today is to recognize how even the darkest of times can lead to positive change. It’s when we are challenged that we grow and become stronger. It’s through this growth that we can share our stories to help others who are experiencing dark times as well.
Just as God was with Joshua, He was with me and He is with you!
Looking for a speaker for an upcoming event? I’d love to be that guy. You can reach me at dave@cultivatecourage.com or 952-200-7499.
You can now buy the book “Cultivate Courage” on Amazon! https://amzn.to/2N2PBVJ
