Courage Doesn't Always Roar

We all get hung up on the idea of what courage means to us. Courage is something we all want to possess, and it is something that is prevalent in our life through stories and movies. These tales of bravery are carried out by those courageous and self-sacrificing individuals who in their moment of doubt and hesitation can ignore the odds that lay before them and triumph against those opposing forces.

Though we have grandiose ideas of what courage is. Courage is, after all, being afraid and acting anyway, even though our society does not always recognize this attribute. Courage researchers Cynthia Pury and Charles Starkey reviewed the citations for valor of 74 recipients of the Carnegie Medal for heroic actions and found not a single mention of the words fear, afraid, or worried.

We may not all be destined for greatness through some courageous act, but the little things we face on a daily basis can have the biggest impact on the people around us. Speaking from a place of conviction, and spreading positive energy, I think are the building blocks to being courageous one day. Courage, after all, is feeling afraid yet choosing to act.

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