The Definition of Strong

I used to think that bravery was the absence of fear. After all, if you’re not afraid of anything and you have the drive to help other people theoretically, you would be out there being a “brave” hero theoretically speaking. But the reality is that’s not brave. If you are not afraid of something, you may be doing something good, something heroic. But you think nothing of it, and it’s not really bravery. Bravery is overcoming those fears.I’ve discovered lately that I guess you could say toughness is the same way. Or strength, maybe strength is a better word for it. Anyway, strength is not the absence of hurt, the wall of not feeling anything, etc. When you don’t feel anything, it is more a symptom of severe depression. Feeling nothing, no hurt, no pain, nothing comes after you hurt every day, and it is somehow worse, even though you wouldn’t expect it to be. No, strength is feeling what your mind decides that you are going to feel, granted some people may feel less or at least at a lower intensity. But strength is doing things because you have to and despite the fact that you are hurting, no matter how intense it is. And just like bravery, it is the harder thing to achieve. This because, if you are not hurting, obviously what would you have to overcome. But when you are, you have to step outside it and basically force yourself to go on and be “strong.”