are you born with courage? is it nurtured to you? is it both?

We can trace the origins of courage back to the time of creation, the world the atua (oldest ancestors, gods, elemental forces) were conceived and born into. The courage to venture out beyond their known surroundings into the uncertain and unknown which has perpetuated a whakapapa (legacy) of courage that has been passed down through generations.

From our tupuna (ancestors) who fought in the land wars and the world wars, to establishing Kohanga Reo and Kura Kaupapa Māori, to other acts of courage requiring protest, occupation of whenua (land) and marches on government for the rights and justices promised to our people at the signing of Te Tiriti o Waitangi, at the very least.

I’m sure you can think of other examples that are closer to home but hopefully these are enough to get the juices flowing to show that it is in our DNA, in the very fabric of who we are to continue the legacy our tupuna instilled in us, to cultivate and demonstrate courage.

but what is it that gives us courage in the moment?

What is it in that very moment that gives someone the courage to make a potentially (hopefully) life altering decision for you or others involved?

I believe we are born with courage. “He kai kei aku ringa,” there’s abundance within me; we already have everything we need within us — so of course, courage is part of the combo. But it’s what we do in the moment that determines how we nurture it to grow within us.

When you think about who you are, who you want to be and the life you want to lead — how much courage will you need to cultivate in order to make that happen?

Tēnā tātou,

Hana. rāua ko Tumanako

ps. I’ve been a bit sick, so got some help with this week’s piece, hence the length but still think it’s a worthwhile, thought provoking kōrero. let me know what you think!