Courage
“You will never do anything in this world without courage. It is the greatest quality of the mind next to honor,” Aristotle. When I first saw courage as a skill, I immediately thought of this quote. I thought to myself that courage is needed in almost everything that we do in this world. It is defined as the ability to uphold one’s values, even when making difficult decisions and taking purposeful actions. Courage is needed to advocate for others and oneself, have difficult discussions and especially to forgive people who have hurt us. It is needed in day to day life to pursue our dreams, hopes and ambitions.
Courage is often associated with being fearless and dramatic. However, it can sometimes look like quiet perseverance. This refers to maintaining your focus on your goals even in the face of setbacks. It can simply mean the courage to get out of bed in the morning and show up to where you are needed, although you feel emotionally drained, exhausted and inept. This in itself takes great effort, courage and strength.
In order to do this, however, we may sometimes need to tap into our capacity for courage. That is, ways to feel more courageous.
Here are three ways that I’ve found helpful when I needed to build my courage:
Visualize myself as courageous- I tend to journal acts of courage that I performed in the past. For instance, speaking to large crowds or standing up for others. Creating a past inventory of courageous personal actions, no matter how small, tends to give me a psychological boost and helps inspire me.
Step out of comfort zones- Engaging in activities that may be out of my comfort zone can build self-confidence and decrease fear associated with the activity.
Clarify my values- Courage is easier to see in others than yourself. However, when we clarify our values, that is, what we stand for and what is important for ourselves, we may feel more capable of feeling more courageous and face what’s ahead despite the pangs of fear and anxiety.
Let’s explore some open reflective questions. You are more than welcome to answer any or both:
🌱 What is one courageous action (no matter how small) you’ve taken recently?
🌱 What is one way you’ve found helpful when you needed to tap into your capacity for courage?
Courage is one of the skills found in the fifth Dimension (Acting- Enabling Change) of the Inner Developmental Goals.
Image Source [https://www.infinumgrowth.com/building-courage-change-resolution]
I appreciate your time and patience in reading this post. Please do have a beautiful day. 🌷
@GentleHealingInitiative
1. I took a stand for my mwntal health and however difficult it was to do it with my indian family i did it!
2. Acceptance
@mindfulofthoughts Hey! Hearing that you were able to take a stand for your mental health despite knowing how difficult it would have been makes me feel so happy for you. I can only imagine the relief you felt after taking that stance.
I appreciate you taking the time to respond to this post. Thank you so much. 💓
@GentleHealingInitiative
Recently, I took the courageous step of sharing my true feelings with someone close to me—it wasn’t easy, but it brought relief and deepened our connection. A small act, but one that mattered deeply.
@timabo7055 Hey! I appreciate you sharing this and congrats on taking this step. Sharing your heartfelt feelings with someone close is never easy, but I applaud you for taking the effort. 😊
I can only imagine the emotions you felt when you shared this. I completely agree with you! It does matter and it brought you a closer. I really can only imagine the relief you felt afterwards. Again, I must applaud you for taking this courageous action and also for sharing this. 💓
@GentleHealingInitiative
When I needed to tap into my courage, I reminded myself why it mattered and what the cost of staying silent or inactive would be.
@timabo7055 I love that you mentioned this! 💓 Especially where you mentioned the cost of staying silent. That can impact so many areas in one’s life, especially when you think of missed chances and suppressing your personal truth.
Again, I am so happy for you. I applaud you for your actions and also I have to thank you again for taking the time to share this. Know that you’re doing amazing. ⭐
@GentleHealingInitiative
I stopped doing extra work in home
I started putting boundaries
@GentleHealingInitiative One courageous action ive taken recently was presenting my research to my class without note,s which is hard for me usually and gives me anxiety.
@GentleHealingInitiative
I treated my health alone
I have got vergenity test alone
I just took my decision and done it
@GentleHealingInitiative
My courage moment this week was having a difficult conversation in work with someone, that took courage as I knew it would be difficult for me and them.
@GentleHealingInitiative
1. Being a people pleaser, the last courageous act i did was say no to my friend for something i did nit enjoy doing!
@GentleHealingInitiative
One recent act of courage for me was setting a boundary in a close relationship. It wasn’t dramatic or loud, but it was hard. I had to be honest about what I needed for my well-being, even though I was afraid of how it might be received. It taught me that courage often comes with discomfort—and that’s okay. The peace that followed reminded me why it was worth it.
@GentleHealingInitiative a courageous action that I have taken recently is putting myself in more social environments that I usually would not. I tend to be more introverted, and I wanted to create new friendships with people so I have been stepping out of my comfort zone and doing things that are particularly scary for me, such as socializing and big groups and with new group groups of people that to me is courageous
