The Wizard of Oz is one of my all-time favorite movies. The 1939 Hollywood classic captured my imagination as a child. I envisioned myself transported from Kansas to the magical Land of Oz alongside Dorothy as she befriends the Tin Man, Scarecrow, and Cowardly Lion on the way to meet the Wizard. The Cowardly Lion, who desires the courage to conquer his fears, was always my favorite. I would cheer at the end of the movie when he demonstrates his bravery by fighting alongside Dorothy to defeat the Wicked Witch of the West.
Bert Lahr as the Cowardly Lion in the 1939 film, The Wizard of Oz.
I can relate to the Cowardly Lion. There have been moments in my own life where I was scared to take action, make a decision, or speak up. Over time, however, I have learned to be courageous and vulnerable by telling my truth to the people in my life I have built trust with. Similarly, the clients I have worked with in the Co-Occurring Disorders program at Sanctuary Centers have shared some of their similar experiences with me. Clients will share their stories of past experiences, ongoing recovery successes and setbacks, and those exciting moments of discovering their own strength in the face of adversity. The motivation to heal, lead better lives, and make positive changes drives clients to share their stories, even when those stories are painful to tell. If we wish to heal and make the necessary changes in our lives, we must start by cultivating the emotional courage to be vulnerable, both with ourselves and with others. Cultivating emotional courage allows you to be yourself, share your truth, and understand what you ultimately need and want.
Dr. Brené Brown, a social scientist and leading researcher in shame and vulnerability, describes courage as “showing up and letting ourselves be seen.” Being seen means being vulnerable, which can be scary. To face these fears, we will need courage. So what we can learn about emotional courage from the Cowardly Lion, Dr. Brené Brown, and each other?
What Can Emotional Courage Teach Us?
1. Trust is an Important Foundation for Courage
Trust is vital to telling our stories and truth. Obviously, we don’t typically go around spilling our deepest, darkest secrets to our neighborhood grocer. Safety is crucial to vulnerability. It is important to know who you feel safe enough to be vulnerable with. Mutual respect, honesty, and genuineness can take you a long way toward establishing trust and sharing your true self.
2. Courage Takes Emotional Risk
Being emotionally courageous can be terrifying at times, but we cannot prove our bravery if we are never afraid! Taking emotional risk is necessary. At Sanctuary Centers, we understand the dilemma many of our clients face. Often clients may initially choose not to take the risk of sharing their truth with others as a means of staying safe and protected. Paradoxically, this practice often keeps people down, angry, and resentful. There’s no easy way to do this. If you want to be courageous, you have to take the risks.
3. It Can Be Messy
In an ideal world, we could take emotional risks and be immediately accepted and understood, making everyone (including ourselves) happy in the process. The reality, however, is not so simple. Sometimes when we take emotional risks with others, we may get hurt or disappointed, and wind up not feeling very courageous at all.
Cultivating the emotional courage to tell our truth is not easy. It takes constant practice, humbling experiences, and lots of self-compassion. Choosing to better yourself and discover who you are requires hard work, but being honest and vulnerable with yourself and others enables you to find the courage to show up and be seen – a courage that you, much like the Cowardly Lion, had inside of you the whole time.
About the Author
Alyssa Hufana, MA
Alyssa Hufana, MA is a Co-Occurring Disorders (COD) intern at Sanctuary Centers and a 3rd year doctoral candidate in counseling psychology at the University of California, Santa Barbara. Previously, Alyssa has worked with individuals and families in outpatient settings and college students regarding mental health and substance use. She specializes in resilience, wellness, prevention, and intervention for minority populations and is an American Psychological Association Minority Fellow sponsored by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA).
Excellent write up!