Moxie

Moxie. A somewhat antiquated term, to say the least; a distant relative of "perseverance". Originally "Moxie" was the name of a drug intended to soothe nervousness. The word became synonymous with courage, bravery, and daring after it was associated with the name for a popular soda. At this point, the term became embedded forever into the vocabulary of slang.

Although not frequently heard among the younger generations, moxie is freely applicable to all challenges in life. It takes moxie to do what is right, or to complete a task that seems daunting or overwhelming.

I am sure that every one of us can think of a time that we have had moxie, even if we did not consider it in this way at the time. My roommates have moxie each and every morning when they get out of bed after working for late nights at their 24 hour pharmacy. I had moxie last week, pushing through the mounting pressures of graduate school applications, studying for the GRE, completing paperwork for my organization's budget, and finally negotiating with the IRS in regards to a sorority's financial audit (why would one audit a philanthropic organization, anyway?)

So the next time you are faced with a challenge, think of the pep of a soda's carbonation: be straightforward, confident, and bold. Act with a little moxie.

Biergarten in Munich