Courage is “overcoming fear so you can do what is right.” Courage begins by knowing what is good, true, and right. This gives you confidence that you are heading in the right direction. To do what is right even when you are afraid means you have good character.
Another way to build courage is to think through what you should do in specific situations. For example, what should you do if you wake up and hear a smoke alarm in your home? What should you do if a stranger asks you to get into his car? What should you do if you see someone being teased or bullied?
Thinking ahead will help you overcome fear and make better choices when you face strange, difficult, or frightening situations. When you know something is good and true, stand up with courage instead of hiding in fear. You never know how your boldness and bravery will inspire others to stand up for what is true, right, and just.
Courage in five ways:
Courage is contagious. The good news is, just like fear can be contagious, so can courage. When a student takes a stand on what is right, they often give permission to others to do the same. This is why leadership often begins with entrepreneurship.
Courage is initiating and doing what you are afraid of doing. As I said earlier, courage can co-exist with fear. In fact, it acts in spite of fear. You can’t build courage with mere lectures or theories. Like a muscle, courage only grows when we act. It requires that we run to the roar.
Courage is the power to let go of the familiar. When we cling to what’s familiar or comfortable, we tend to eliminate risk. Unfortunately, risk is a prerequisite for courage. When we risk too little and rescue too quickly, we diminish a student’s chances to grow courage.
Courage is vision in action. Anyone can catch a vision. In fact, anyone who’s ever taken a shower has probably gotten a good idea. Courage is what enables us to get out of the shower, dry off, and do something about that good idea.
Courage takes the risk and seizes what is essential for growth. Healthy courage is always about forward movement and growth. Leaders always push teams toward progress. It involves risk and action. Once these are displayed, they become a model for others to follow.