be scared and do it anyway. be underqualified and get in the room anyway. be unsure and show up anyway. comfort is the enemy of growth. get uncomfortable.
“The Roman Catholic chaplains seemed to enjoy being where the fighting was. And we had never heard of one who failed to do all that was expected of him, and more.” - Captain Robert Graves, WW1
In WW1, British soldiers in Graves’ regiment had lost their faith. Only 1 in 100 men kept their religion. The fighting wore the soldiers down, and regimental chaplains had been under strict orders to stay behind the front lines and to not risk their lives, and they seemed glad to obey these orders.
The Colonel had cycled through 4 chaplains before trying out a Roman Catholic one, hoping it would inspire new faith in the men.
To their pleasant surprise, the new Catholic chaplains were on the front lines with the troops every day, sharing the struggle of the war with them, offering spiritual guidance, and even charging into gunfire to aid and pray with the wounded.
One Catholic chaplain, Fr. Francis Gleeson, when all officers of his company had been killed, stripped his noncombatant badge and took command of the unit in thick fighting until reinforcements arrived.
It is estimated that over 40,000 British soldiers converted to Catholicism during the course of the Great War, inspired by the bravery and camaraderie of the Catholic chaplain corps.
People watching this video, thinking it is amazing to see a 71 year old move so well- a lifetime of dancing and “using” his joints-doesn’t wear them out, in fact the opposite is true! Loading and using joints regularly is what nourished and protects them from falling apart