The following excerpt from Mark Nepo is very powerful and it speaks of how when an authentic need or intuitive truth is felt and responded to instinctively we find a way to honour and act upon what we know deep inside. It is taken from The Book of Awakening : Having the Life You Want by being Present to the Life You Have.
Courage is the heart`s blossom.
Despite all consequence, there is an inevitable honouring of what is true, and at this deep level of inner voice, it is not a summoning of will, but a following of true knowing.
My own life is a trail of such following. Time and again, I have heard deep callings that felt inevitable and which I could have ignored, but only at great risk of something essential perishing.
It was this honouring of what is true that guided me through my cancer experience: saying no to brain surgery and yes to rib surgery, saying yes to chemo and no to chemo. Each decision appeared both courageous and illogical to my doctors. Since then, I have been called heroic for surviving, which is like championing an eagle for finding it`s nest, and I have been condemned as selfish for seeking the Truth, which is like blaming turtle for finding the deep.
Courage of this sort is the result of being authentic. It is available to all and its reward, far more than respect, is the opening of joy.
Emerging From The Dark Night 