“A high station in life is earned by the gallantry with which appalling experiences are survived with grace.” – Tennessee Williams
Of all the qualities I’ve admired in people I’ve met over the years I must say that the ability to survive appalling experiences with grace and dignity comes very near to topping the list. While I do not ascribe to the commonly espoused belief that God gives us challenges to make us stronger, I do believe that challenges – whatever their provenance or severity – can be put to good advantage.
I also believe that the majority of pain and suffering experienced on earth is anthropogenically induced. We are, in all of our dysfunction, our own worst enemy. Our collective and chronic misuse of our most central capacity – free will – is the most destructive force on earth. There is no other greater evil.
In all of life we cannot reasonably expect to take the same approach that got us into this mess and somehow achieve a different result. The way out is marked by the footsteps of the way in. We must find it in ourselves to restore indignity with grace, cowardliness with gallantry no matter how abhorrent the circumstances at hand. Being gallant is our duty, but more than that, it is our innermost nature.
Gregory Hake 
The capacity for human courage is extraordinary, especially in-extremis. What we do not currently excel at is keeping the bar high for any length of time during the day to day, as a group. What usually has ended up happening is, barring consistent conscious progress to keep the bar high, we acclimate to the lowered bar. This is not the natural order of things, nor is it acceptable. There is a beacon for a higher bar that is constantly sounding. Unfortunately we have acclimated to a bar so low that we cannot even hear the beacon any longer, like a person trying to hear a dog-whistle. We must take the courage that we use so admirably in our extreme circumstances and use it in the day to day, continually raising the bar, tracing our footsteps back till we can hear the beacon of perfection sounding again.
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This is the mark of a True Leader.
Regardless of what he/she is personally going through, its handled with Gallantry & Grace.
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Whatever appalling circumstances we may individually face, it is unlikely that others have not faced worse in a spirit of graciousness, strength and victory. Cursing one’s lot cuts off the life force and ushers in the certainty of defeat and tragedy. Or… we may accept responsibility, with dignity, forgiveness and gratefulness to God, living now without excuse. Why not?!
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Your words bring to mind the biblical stories of Joseph and Daniel. Here are examples of grace and gallantry. Such remembrance along with your words do bring to remembrance our innermost nature. Thank you again.
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I agree with your solution. I think your e-book “The Courage To Face Ingratitude” outlines some feasible attitudes to begin this process. Looking at it broadly, the slippery slope of judgement is the first curse we bring on ourselves. When judgement is habitually eschewed, the attitudes and resultant actions of grace, that we seek, are a natural force. When we leave the space Heaven fills in like light in a dark room.
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i agree!
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