What keeps you from being courageous ?

Yesterday I listened to Leesa Renee Hall from Faithfully Rich during the Breakdown to Break Free telesummit. She discussed a lot of things and provided some really juicy information, but one take away in particular is the inspiration for this blog post. She talked about courage. She mentioned how women in particular struggle in this area and how we are notorious for carrying around baggage that prevents us from moving forward. When she said that I thought to myself...hmmm is she trying to call me out? I knew right then and there what she was talking about concerning me so here it goes.  I'm about to let it all hang out in a moment...

I used to be in not one, but several abusive relationships. Although I have a feisty and a "I'll kick you in the throat if you mess with me" attitude, when it came down to relationships, I allowed myself to become a human doormat. I didn't stand up for myself. I was an emotional wreck. On one occasion (believe me there were many) I allowed a man, who was to my fiance, drag me through the foyer of his home, onto his front doorstep trying to yank the ring he gave me off my finger because I "said" something to piss him off. Tyler Perry's "Diary of a Mad Black Woman" had nothing on me.