Dare to Question

“Courage is what it takes to stand up and speak; courage is also what it takes to sit down and listen.”
― Winston S. Churchill

If there is just one piece of advice I had to give my kids, considering I am rationed for five minutes of lecture, I would say that live life courageously. There are different ways to live life - some are adventurous, some high achievers, some contemplative, and some content to go with the flow. Not all desire a fabulous life, not all desire success, not all crave for fame and wealth, but fact remains that we will be interacting with people who have different definitions of living life.

To live life on your terms, being true to your core, demands courage. Tremendous and unfailing courage. It is foolish to assume that we are indifferent to others opinions, that peer pressure doesn't exist, but to discover your true self and to stay on the course that makes you happy demands you being stronger than all the other influences in  your life. 

You are nothing without courage - living challenges  you to constantly overcome your fears. Our true essence is lost in the process of growing up - the influences and expectations of society and people around us shape our personality into something that will help in "fitting in". We are after all social animals and do value the opinion of our peers.

But to achieve something, to better the society we always need a voice of dissent - a courageous voice that will go against what is perceived as truth. Questioning age old traditions, scriptures, norms and doing so openly - requires courage. The moment you raise your head in the crowd, the moment you question beliefs, you are persecuted. Question, question every belief that has been handed down to you- question even if you can't find answers, because freedom of expression, evolved society just does not happen by itself.


Writers, thinkers and political activists deserve our salutes , they are the defenders of our right to choose- right to be different and express our opinions.