I think for most of us, thinking about courage leads to people who do heroic things. First responders, firefighters, EMT’s or those who have associations with safety and security issues. As I sit back and ponder courage my thoughts broaden and begin to see the behavior in a more personal and intimate way. I think about the courage it takes to do things alone. How someone holding onto their integrity against others who try to influence through peer pressure uses courage.
Courage is in all of us. Courage is a bravery to hold on when called for or to step out when needed. It’s the ability to address conflict or have a difficult conversation with grace and equanimity. All of us face challenges in life that take courage. Courage lies in the vulnerability of sharing ourselves with each other.
I turn to nature once again to find examples of courage in the world. It’s in the vigilance of the birds and animals standing up fending off predators. It’s in all the biological adaptations that occur for the survival of the earth.
“Courage is not the absence of fear but rather that the assessment of something else is more important than fear.” Franklin D. Roosevelt
“Courage is what it takes to stand up and speak; courage is also what it takes to sit down and listen.” Winston Churchill
“It takes courage to grow up and become who you really are.” E. E. Cummings