Are You Courageous in Your Own Life?

“I long to accomplish a great and noble task, but it is my chief duty to accomplish humble tasks as though they were great and noble. The world is moved along, not only by the mighty shoves of its heroes, but also by the aggregate of the tiny pushes of each honest worker.” - Helen Keller

Webster’s Dictionary defines courage as mental or moral strength, to venture, persevere, and withstand danger, fear, or difficulty. In Latin, the root word meaning of cor means ‘more at heart.’

This past week I was in awe and gratitude walking through the airport and seeing all the courageous men and women in uniform who are serving our country. And yes, some will even give their life for us and our freedom.

As I observed these brave men and women, it conjured up many questions for me. What defines courage? Do you have to die for your country to be considered brave? Or can you be courageous in your everyday life? 

I say yes. The opportunity to be courageous is inside of all of us, and there are many occasions around us for us to practice this state of being every day.

Sometimes courage isn’t just simply being brave enough to go to war to protect our freedoms. It is finding the courage to be yourself and say YES to what you believe in, despite of what others may think of you. It can often be very hard to go against traditional viewpoints, as we risk being made fun of or not ‘fitting in’ with the crowd. At times we may even be called a rebel for holding our ground and standing up for our convictions.

People in business face this challenge almost daily. Perhaps true courage is having the strength of will to say to a client, “What you’re asking me to do goes against my core values, so I won’t be able to fulfill your request.” Or to tell someone you care for the cold, hard facts such as, “If you continue to pursue the choices you’ve made, then I’ll have no other choice but to stop being friends with you.” 

The act of courage has many faces, but it’s always based in reality - being as authentic an individual as you can possibly be. Not all of us are meant to rush into burning buildings to save a life, nor can we be expected to. Yet sometimes courage will catch us by surprise and show up when we least expect it to. I believe that the finest human qualities such as true courage, bravery, kind-heartedness to name just a few, are within each and every one of us. It may take a bit of digging at times to find these jewels, but they’re there - we just need to know where to look for them and draw upon them when we need them.

As I said above, for some people, true courage is serving your country in its hour of need. For everyday folk like us, it could be the courage to say NO to the corporate rat race and YES to starting your own business. It could be the courage to say NO to working late every night and YES to spending more time with your family. It could be the courage to charge what you know you’re worth. It could be the courage to expect MORE success in your life and quite settling for LESS mediocrity. I think you get my drift.

Just because you are courageous doesn’t mean you are without fear. Courage is taking action in the face of fear. There will always be fear when you take a new action, but use it to propel yourself to the next level and don’t let it stop you dead in your tracks.

So, what is the key element that separates the men from boys, the girls from the women so to speak?

It is the DECISION they made and the answer YES to their burning desires. They chose to be courageous in spite of their fears.

I challenge you this week to ask yourself, “What is one small action that I can take that would make me feel like a hero in my own life?”

Your answer (and the outcome) may surprise you.