The interplays in life, heartfulness and the courageous spirit.
Thinking about the heart—and life journeys—in talking to my mother; we were walking the idea of courage. People, friends, family—they come and go—as we all do; it’s one in a string of challenges that we all face. Courage plays out as the movement—a song—in all, going forward.
There are people that seem to have extraordinary courage in
facing the challenges that cloud around them— yet somehow, they go ahead, step-by-step, striding forward.
Contemplating these transitions for all of us, for her, and others, it’s the time of being alone—still gathered round the ring of friends and family. Still, the buoyant strength will lie in the resilience of the heart, the containing calm in the struggle, and moving ahead.
Nothing stands still, even in the emergence of death; for the brave, the strong, the heart beats onwards in the pulse of courage. And the idea of heart, and courage, they are the same.
I go back, searching into the heart of the meaning.
Listening to etymologist Douglas Harper, the notes of the string of the word go back into the mists of time, last off at around 1300, from the Old French—corage, “heart, innermost feelings; temper,” and then back earlier, to a rougher, Vulgar Latin of the common people of ancient Rome: *coraticum (and, by reference, to the Italian coraggio, and the Spanish coraje), from the Latin—cor “heart,” a metaphor for inner strength. In Middle English—from the 12th century, onwards, this word was used broadly for “what is in one’s mind or thoughts,” and thereby “bravery,” but also “wrath, pride, confidence.”
The core, the courage, the heart of things — at the center—driving forward in the force and spirit of being. Step by step, the momentum of the heart full.
I admire that courage of the heart.
As a creative, a strategist and designer—you too—think of courage as heart, for the brave must have heart to move to the future,
in the sustainable empowerment of future, and act with bravery.
You might wonder—what’s the point of this for me, a brand owner, designer, strategist or marketer?
You might know that strategy is inherently martial, its legacy as a line of thinking is particular to warring tactics—as in the Ancient Greek, στρατηγία, stratēgia, office of command, a generalship from στρατός (stratós, “army”) + ἄγω(ágō, “I lead, I conduct”). And—towards outcomes, the tactical expression, also Ancient Greek–τακτικός (taktikós, “fit for ordering”), from τάσσω (tássō, “to order, to arrange”).
For brand, then—also an ancient seed sound for “fire.” And this too, speaks to leadership, fire-starting, light-bearing and the courage to raise the torch to lead.
I’ve written some other notes to this effect—for a more precisely brand-related series of observations.
On fear.
On brands and risk.
Brand adventure.
A brand we built on
heart and courage: Coraggio
Tim | GIRVIN | Strategic Brands
Digital | Built environments by Osean | Theatrical Branding
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