Chapter 11 - Choosing Flourishing: A Daily Act of Courage
From the book, Living as a Cathedral of Awe
Living as a Cathedral of Awe Book
Flourishing is not an accident.
It is not a gift handed down from perfect circumstances.
It is not a reward for having suffered enough.
Flourishing is a choice.
A daily act of courage.
A rebellion against everything fear once taught us was inevitable.
Every morning, we are offered the same two paths:
Fear: Shrink, defend, brace, expect disappointment.
Flourishing: Expand, trust, create, expect wonder.
The world trains us in fear.
Trauma trains us in fear.
Disappointment, betrayal, loneliness — they carve the grooves deep.
But the miracle is this:
We can choose something else.
Not because fear disappears.
Not because life becomes safe or fair overnight.
But because awe lives just as real, just as deep —
waiting for us to turn toward it.
Choosing flourishing means:
Remembering that one micro-moment of presence outweighs an hour of anxiety.
Trusting that wonder is stronger than weariness.
Daring to build cathedrals of awe where fortresses of fear once stood.
It means letting yourself believe —
even for a breath —
that life can be good again.
That you can be good again.
That goodness is not just a memory.
It is a reality you are invited to live.
Flourishing is not naive.
It is the fiercest act of realism there is.
It looks at the brokenness of the world
and does not deny it —
but chooses to create beauty anyway.
It looks at the uncertainty of the future
and does not demand guarantees —
but chooses to walk forward anyway.
It looks at the wounds of the past
and does not erase them —
but chooses to live beyond them anyway.
Every act of flourishing is an act of hope embodied.
A defiant stand against despair.
A quiet revolution against resignation.
Every breath of awe, every smile of real connection,
every expansion into trust
is a flag planted in the ground of your own life,
declaring:
"Fear does not rule here anymore.
Life does."
I choose flourishing.
Not because it is easy.
But because it is sacred.
Because it is true.
Because it is the only way I know to honor the miracle of being alive.
And I will keep choosing it —
one breath,
one step,
one micro-moment at a time.
Next: Chapter 12 - Living as a Cathedral of Awe: A Daily Blessing for Myself
A closing blessing for the journey — and for every soul who dares to choose awe.
