What Green Lantern taught me about courage

Yesterday, I watched Green Lantern starring Ryan Reynolds as the DC Comics hero. It was a fun flick … but it also had a pretty profound underlying message.

The premise of the story is that there is an intergalactic police force who harnesses the green energy of will to keep the peace. Their biggest enemy is Parallax, who harnesses the yellow energy of fear. You see, fear is the natural enemy of will.

And, if you think about it … that’s very true.

At one point, Sinestro (one of the green lantern core, played by Mark Strong) is sparring with Hal Jordan (Earth’s green lantern, played by Ryan Reynolds) and he tells him, “Fear is the enemy of will. Will is what makes you take action; fear is what stops you, and makes you weak… makes your constructs feeble.”

When you put this into the language of universal laws or law of attraction, you can see the truth of Sinestro’s words. Whenever we give into our fears, give them power, all the positive thoughts and affirmations (our will to make our life better) will be for naught.

For me, the most thought provoking and powerful moment in the movie was when Hal was doubting himself and the woman he loved tells him what she had always seen in him.

	Hal Jordan: They said that the ring wouldn’t have chosen me if it didn’t see something. Something I don’t see. Yet.
	Carol Ferris: I see it. I always have. The ring didn’t see that you were fearless. It saw that you had the ability to overcome fear. It saw that you’re courageous. Which you are. Just like your dad.

Many people don’t understand that courage is not the absence of fear. Rather, it is the ability to look fear in the face and still take action. It is the ability to feel the fear and do it anyway. It is the ability to overcome fear and not let it get the better of you.

So, as you go after your dreams, you will — at some point along the journey, probably at several points — come face to face with your fears, your demons. Don’t let them stop you. Plow right on through. Have faith that you have the dreams you have because you were meant to achieve them.

I’m a firm believer that God gifts us with passions, dreams and talents because he wants us to make them real, to live them, to give life to them in this world. Fear is just our own erroneous self talk. So slap that demon in the face and tell it to be gone … you have visions to bring to life!