Tag: courageous

Courage/Bravery is better than Safety

Life is not safe.

Yes, it’s much safer today than it has ever been. We have clean water, easy access to food, shelter to keep us from being exposed to the elements, we don’t have to fight off packs of wolves or lions.

Life is safe, but why does it feel so dangerous sometimes? We can feel fear from being ostracized, from failing, from not having “enough”…

But I’m here to argue that we should not strive for maximum safety. Maximum safety would require us to never leave our house, because we might get into a car accident, we’ll be exposed to other people’s germs, what if there is a mass shooting where you’re going? There is a point of diminishing returns. We want safety, of course, but we need to live and have social interactions with others. Instead of wanting maximum safety, I’d rather optimize my courage or bravery. Because often times to be the safest, you relinquish so much control – so much of your power – to someone else. But if you are courageous and brave, that power is within you to face and overcome that which you fear.

Courage

Have the courage to fail.

Have the courage to be rejected.

Have the courage to think outside of the box.

Courage is the mother virtue. All other virtues depend on you being courageous enough to take action when it is difficult. When you encounter fear, do you have the courage to face it? If your other virtues are put to the test, they won’t stand up unless you have enough courage to do so. Are you willing to tell the whole truth even when it might get you in trouble? Are you willing to show compassion to those who are looked down on in life? Can you keep your integrity and speak up for things on which you vehemently disagree, even in a room in which you’re the only one who feels that way? Those all require courage to be present.

The relationship between courage and vulnerability

To be vulnerable is to be courageous and to be courageous is to be vulnerable. Doing something difficult when there is an easier choice inherently makes it a courageous act. Whether it is opening up about your life, telling somebody a hard truth, or defending someone else where you might get physically or emotionally hurt, there are different types of vulnerabilities, but they all require courage. How can you practice being courageous today?

Courage over comfort

Choose courage over comfort. Just be aware that, as Brene Brown points out in her book Dare to Lead, ”if you choose courage, you will absolutely know failure, disappointment, setback, even heartbreak.”

Courage is tough. It is not for the faint of heart. But, in the long run, the more you choose to be courageous and stay true to yourself, the less regrets you’ll have in life.

Courage

Should courage be the foundation of everyone’s core values? I believe justice, integrity, generosity, and perseverance are also very important values to have, but without the courage to act on what we need to do, will any of those virtues be followed in times of trouble?

We need to be courageous to face uncomfortable situations. Without courage, we are more likely to default to whatever is easiest. Sometimes, to be courageous will require us to confront others, whether they are our peers, someone in a position of authority, or maybe someone you are supposed to be leading. Hopefully we don’t need to confront others often, but it will be necessary at some point in life, regardless of who you are.

Are we standing up for what we believe in, even if it means that we may suffer for doing so? Without courage, we won’t speak up when we see injustice. Without courage, we won’t do what we know is right just because there are roadblocks (like other people). Without courage, maybe we will be less likely to give because we fear we won’t have enough. Without courage, we will give up at the first sign of struggle.

Practice being courageous. It will take time and we will mess up many times along the way. But if we give ourselves some grace, and keep trying to do what is right no matter the consequences, eventually being courageous will become easier for us. Then, not only will we be able to sleep better at night knowing we stood up for what we believe, but we will also gain the respect/admiration of others.