Courageously What?
COURAGE speaks to the whole-hearted embracing of the authentic self. It implies integrity, honesty, sometimes fear and bravery, and the willingness to be vulnerable.
“Courage is a heart word. The root of the word courage is cor - the Latin word for heart. In one of its earliest forms, the word courage meant ‘To speak one’s mind by telling all one’s heart.’ Over time, this definition has changed, and today, we typically associate courage with heroic and brave deeds. But in my opinion, this definition fails to recognize the inner strength and level of commitment required for us to actually speak honestly and openly about who we are and about our experiences — good and bad. Speaking from our hearts is what I think of as ‘ordinary courage.’”
CONGRUENCE
As defined by Google, “In psychological terms, congruent means a match between psychological attributes and behavior.”
Carl Rogers stated that the personality is like a triangle made up of the real self, the perceived self, and ideal self. According to Rogers, when there is a good fit between all three components, the person has congruence. This is a healthy state of being and helps people continue to progress toward self-actualization.
Most simply put, I think of congruence as the difference between what you think and feel on the inside with what you portray through words and actions on the outside. The bigger the difference, the less congruent a person is, the smaller the difference, the more congruent. I know from personal and professional experience that congruence is directly relative to life satisfaction and connection in relationships. It’s as simple as that.
“The sometimes difficult, but worthwhile whole-hearted ability to be present — such that who you are on the inside matches who you are on the outside to others and in the world.”