Joan of Arc

Happy Birthday to our brave saint

Happy Birthday to Joan of Arc.

Hello everyone. Today is such an important day to remember and acknowledge Joan of Arc. Her birthday today marks the calendar at such a crucial moment, as she is an epitome of courage, fearlessness, bravery, and while her death day is May 30, her birthday, when she entered the world and we celebrate the first breaths of her existence is January 6 - at the very start of the year, at a time when we could use an example of courage and bravery to help push and guide us forward, to help us locate and give voice to that same courage which resides inside us all - sometimes alive and thriving like a wildfire, sometimes dormant and sleeping, sometimes yearning to be awoken. 

Here are some words of courage from Joan to help to guide us into the new year:

"I am not afraid. I was born to do this."

"Get up tomorrow early in the morning, and earlier than you did today, and do the best that you can." 

"One life is all we have and we live it as we believe in living it. "

"Go forward bravely. Fear nothing"

“Courage! Do not fall back; in a little the place will be yours. Watch! When the wind blows my banner against the bulwark, you shall take it.”

There is so much to say about Joan of Arc, about her story, her life, her death, the way she is remembered and revered throughout the world. Today we can read about her, think about her, though most importantly, in her honor, we can think about the areas in our lives where we could benefit greatly from accessing more of our own courage, and we can hold her energy of bravery with us as we go forward in our own lives. 

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And let’s remember too, one of my favorite quotes and helpful thoughts in general:

Be afraid, and do it anyway.

Sometimes that’s exactly what courage and fearlessness means - doing the scary thing while being afraid.

In fact, it’s the actual definition of courage: the ability to do something that frightens one.

Using that powerful energy in our favor as best we can.

Fear as a tailwind, instead of a headwind.

Being truly vulnerable, standing for something, believing in ourselves.

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*This post went out at 14:12, the year Joan of Arc is believed to have been born in the village of Domremy, France, now called Domrémy-la-Pucelle.

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