Courage by Michael Jackson

45degreelean:

Its curious what takes courage and what doesnt. When I step out on stage in front of thousands of people, I dont feel that Im being brave. It can take much more courage to express true feelings to one person. When I think of courage, I think of the Cowardly Lion in The Wizard of Oz. He was always running away from danger. He often cried and shook with fear. But he was also sharing his real feelings with those he loved, even though he didnt always like those feelings

That takes real courage, the courage to be intimate. Expressing your feelings is not the same as falling apart in front of someone else — its being accepting and true to your heart, whatever it may say. When you have the courage to be intimate, you know who you are, and youre willing to let others see that. Its scary, because you feel so vulnerable, so open to rejection. But without self-acceptance, the other kind of courage, the kind heroes show in movies, seems hollow.
In spite of the risks, the courage to be honest and intimate opens the way to self-discovery. It offers what we all want, the promise of love.

from Dancing The Dream by Michael Jackson

(published 1992)