Courage and Time

Maybe it is harder for addicts to have courage, but this will be an encouraging (and short) post: courage means being able to take actions on faith, I think.  No, not religious faith, not quite.  It doubles with time, because it involves the ability to work hard without having all the answers, with the [faith] that we'll be able to get more answers (or at least better question) the more we work.  That takes time, see.  Very simple.  I know, I know, maybe this is all baloney.  Consider this, though: our natural state, if we give in to it, is very lazy, and wants to do the least work possible for the most pleasure.  The way to live--the reason we have standards and morals--is to push against our natural states in a consistent and managable way.  So, it isn't comfortable.  It takes courage to be uncomfortable, and to hold on and not let go of that discomfort, and it takes some time and effort for that discomfort to dissipate.  And the, redux, it takes more effort, because it is after accomplishment that we're most likely to slip.  Okay, so maybe if you scroll down and listen to Dot Allison "Courage and Time" you'll get in a more full way than I can say it.  Or maybe the tune is rolling around in my head (notice how metaphorical that is?)....