foolish or courageous?

Recently I did something that I felt like I just had to do to put to rest some contemplation. I have not shared with anyone the choice I made. I must admit that keeping it to myself has been a very funny thing to me. I have even laughed out loud over it a couple times.  Regardless of what happens with that, it led me to consider (more contemplation to replace that which I put to rest), "What is the difference between foolish and courageous?"

One of the comments I received from my FB poll separated the two by risk vs foreseeable consequences. Courageous acts lead people toward behavior that is not deterred by pain or danger. If the danger is in physical, emotional or social risk - no matter. I am an advocate for bravery.  I have sat across the table from many who are able to articulate their passion beautifully and project their dreams with detail. The question that lingers is always the same, "then, why not?" The answer is also almost always the same... fear. (well, and I suppose to be fair, funds is a very close second!)

Fear.

What if I fail? What if "they" think I am foolish? What if it isn't really a good idea? What if I succeed and don't know where to go from there?

You gain strength, courage, and confidence by every experience by which you really stop to look fear in the face. You are able to say to yourself, ‘I lived through this horror. I can take the next thing that comes along.-Eleanor Roosevelt 

Fear is good. Fear brings up all the risk involved. Fear is good for stopping us from doing something that will harm us or others - causing us to count the cost is not a bad thing. Fear can bring us to the place where we modify our plans to avoid unnecessary risk. Is fear ever a good reason not to try? Depends on how it all unpacks when we do face it, I suppose.  However, anything worth doing usually involves risk of and eventually some pain.

…You must do the thing you think you cannot do.-Eleanor Roosevelt

In my fB conversation, foolishness vs courageous revealed that a world view, our value system plays an important role in what is labeled foolishness and what is labeled courageous. One of my wise friends stated simply that is usually after the fact that the call is made. I think I agree with that. This is what makes life the adventure that it is.

Gene and I have made choices over the past few years that were base on passion and world view / value system. I suppose now, in light of a couple "failures", what we have done could seem foolish. We chose to risk financial stability and pursue a dream. Six years later, we are still in pursuit of something that seems less clear all of the time. The danger that was feared is right here with us. Would we do anything different, probably not. Recently the "security" we gave up, became not so secure and it is very possible we would be in the same place now anyway, but having the wondering of what could have been had we tried. I also think that when we act in the face of all the uncertainties, it encourages others to do the same.

I won't lie, I hope that my choices, the risks I take either go unnoticed or work out to be very good things. If not, at least I won't wonder "what if...".  I hope that we will catch a break one of these days. I pray frequently desperate prayers of hoping in that direction. When that happens, all of our foolishness will be labeled courage and inspiration. In the mean time...courageous just appears foolish to others - and visa versa. We listen to our fear, assess the situation - balance these matters with our own capabilities and act accordingly.

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