Poll: Do you think practicing meditation can help build courage?

[suffering]

My cowardice is HUGE. Some people say that if one really wants to end it, it can be done, but please consider that some of us have an enormous survival instinct. Call it a handicap, a birth defect. I am thinking about starting to train my mind like a Buddhist monk, maybe it helps. I have practice meditation in the past, nothing fancy, just the 10 minutes a day focusing on breath thing, and I saw good results in the way I managed difficult situations. I didn't stick to the practice however and when I wanted to kill myself no amount of self awareness and control felt enough.
Do you think practicing meditation can help build courage? Or will it be just another futile thing on my list?

 

[Firecaste]

Never done it but if it's just 10 mins a day your not sacrificing much, so I guess it's worth a shot.

 

[Final Escape]

I wish it did. Neurolingistics programming might though. Tons of repetition of carefully worded affirmations that u relisten to a few times a day. U record it into the audios of your fone and then listen to yourself with headphones saying the positive self talk for like 5 to 15 mins, once in morning, once around noon, then before bed. Within weeks of daily doing u might be able to get your mind to absorb the new inner talk. What u think is what u manifest, so that's why gradually this works. Two weeks at least u have to stick with it even if u don't do it perfectly but the key is the repetition and consistentcy. An example of affirmation: I'am confident, relaxed, and learning to be more courageous everyday. U repeat it 4 times into the audio per affirmation. U might have to tweak the affirmations till u can make it be recieved by your unconscious better. It won't work if u make an affirmation that is negative, like for example: I'm going to not eat too much today. U have to word it like: I'am learning to make more positive food choices everyday to feel better. Your brain won't want to do things that you don't want to do. So it always to be worded in a way that u want to do. Only problem is, this will raise your feelings of well being and reduce the suicidal ideation instead of giving u courage to ctb. Ctb is something you deep down don't want to do even when we do want to go through with it.

 

[suffering]

Look at this guy: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thích_Quảng_Đức
The monk who burned himself alive...
"As he burned he never moved a muscle, never uttered a sound, his outward composure in sharp contrast to the wailing people around him."...

 

[MEoDP]

I practice Meditation as well. I started from 2-5 minutes and with practice,I've built myself up to 20 minutes twice a day. (Planning to up to 30 minutes once I get used to this and so on)

I recommend you do the same. Start with a small amount then build yourself up(I used 5 minute increments till I reached 20.)as you get used to it. (If you're doing well and enjoying the activity,you'll start craving for more. that's what happened with me)

 

[Buddyluv19]

While I do believe that, for some, meditation can be helpful in 'calming the mind', I'm from the 'school of hard knocks' concerning COURAGE. I believe you build 'courage' by actually doing the thing you want to do. Actually, I hope I'm wrong. I hope someone can actually sit on a pillow and 'build the courage' to be a great singer, teacher, football player - whatever. If meditation motivates one to take action, that is ideal.

 

[hunter_lewis]

My cowardice is HUGE. Some people say that if one really wants to end it, it can be done, but please consider that some of us have an enormous survival instinct. Call it a handicap, a birth defect. I am thinking about starting to train my mind like a Buddhist monk, maybe it helps. I have practice meditation in the past, nothing fancy, just the 10 minutes a day focusing on breath thing, and I saw good results in the way I managed difficult situations. I didn't stick to the practice however and when I wanted to kill myself no amount of self awareness and control felt enough.
Do you think practicing meditation can help build courage? Or will it be just another futile thing on my list?

maybe you're not a coward, but just not ready to die yet. You are courageous because you are facing life and going on even though you want to ctb. In my opinion living is more courageous than ctb, but it takes a lot of balls to be able to ctb as well. I think meditation can help you.