In human beings courage is necessary to make being and becoming possible… The acorn becomes an oak by means of automatic growth; no commitment is necessary. The kitten similarly becomes a cat on the basis of instinct. Nature and being are identical creatures like them. But man or woman becomes fully human only by his or her choices and his or her commitment to them. People attain worth and dignity by the multitude of decisions they make from day to day. These decisions require courage.
– Rollo May, The Courage to Create, pp. 13-14
Over this past week, I have witnessed all sorts of acts of courage all around me:
~ a friend initiating an honest conversation with his partner to end a comfortable, yet deeply unnourishing relationship
~ a beautiful, feisty elder expressing her feelings, in the moment, about facing the next uncertain phase of the aging process
~ a colleague’s tireless efforts to advocate for herself (and by extension, others) regarding health concerns
~ a relative following her intuitive pulse to create the kind of work that aligns with her heart and felt sense of a deeper purpose on planet earth, despite judgem
ents by others
~ thousands of individuals expressing their truths and deeply cherished values of human equality, respect and love, in the form of a woman’s march during times of global transition…
Just to name a few.
Courage evidenced all around! And as I sit here now recalling these acts, I feel a warm, expanding sense of inspiration within. Suddenly, I notice that I feel more solid in the core, rooted, now, even mountainous.
All these instances, which tap different dimensions of courage, including the moral, the creative, and the social, reveal a commonality to me: the willingness of individuals to move with their fears and to choose to take actions that spring from a place of truth within. To me, these are moments of courageous authentic living.
There is som
ething foundational about courage. As put by May, “The word courage comes from the same stem as the French word coeur, meaning “heart.” Thus just as one’s heart, by pumping blood to one’s arms, legs, and brain enables all the other physical organs to function, so courage makes possible all the psychological virtues. Without courage other values wither away into mere facsimiles of virtue.” (The Courage to Create, p. 13)
Courage is the engine that propels us, moment to moment, as we navigate daily life on planet earth. It companions us through our endings, the sometimes murky swamps of the unknown, and into our new beginnings. It shows us the way through our inner and outer obstacles, through the tangled weeds of our fear-based belief patterns.
And it helps us to show up a little bit more every day, just as we are, perfectly imperfect, to create lives that pulse with vitality and authenticity.
As the fabulous Brené Brown explains in one of her inspiring books, Daring Greatly, the 
courage to be authentic is what truly transforms our lives. And it is not an easy road, as it involves leaning into the discomfort of uncertainty – facing fearful experience(s), taking risks and being willing to expose ourselves. “We must dare to show up and let ourselves be seen.”
To me, the good news is that we all are inherently capable of courage. I don’t know about you, but during those times when I feel the impulse to run the other way (e.g., all good intentions muted by pounding heart, dry throat, nattering of unhelpful self-talk…), I aim to remind myself of that well of courage within and the countless times in my life that I have practiced courage.
And we all have repertoires-in-progress of tools during those times to continue to exercise the muscles of bravery. For me, this is what some of my body-mind-spirit courage practices can look like when I am holding back from showing up in a genuine way in my relationships, my work, my daily life:
- I allow myself to be with the sometimes excruciating sensations of fear (or anger or
sadness…) as they take their fleeting course through my system… then visualize a flow of self-directed love to all the cells of my precious being and to fear itself - Reach for the phone to talk it out with a beloved friend who knows me very well
- Focus on the in-and-out of my breath, following it gently and deliberately incorporating gentle brief breathing exercises throughout my day. (Fritz Perls once said something like, “Fear is excitement without the breath.” Remembering this helps to shift my perspective every time!)
- Move my body gently, as in along the ocean walk or in green space. Or move my body vigorously, allowing for the surge of adrenaline to run its course. Sometimes I play my courage anthem song-of-the-day and do my warrior walk with purpose.
- Pull out a pen and scribble down as many challenges as I can, big and small, that I have successfully handled. (When at a loss, I ask good friends for examples of challenges I have courageously navigated.) Read them out loud. Bask in the energy of courage, knowing that this practice will impact me down to the wiring of my brain.
- Envision the victorious end outcome in all its juicy details and emotional textures, and keep returning my attention to that embodied sense.
- Return to my meditation practices, which bring me back in attunement with my radiant Self, my true source of power.
- Challenge myself by committing to courageous follow-through – and just do it (as they say) with oodles of self-love and willingness to learn.
Courage inspires courage, and when I pay attention, I don’t have to look very far to be encouraged, through my fellow travellers’ courageous examples, to continue to choose to walk my talk and live from my centre, moment to moment.
For those of you eager to be inspired by stories of courage, here is a moving TED Talk – 10 Seconds of Courage: Life Lessons from a Fighter – by a female champion in martial arts.
And for those of you interested in learning more about the practical neuroscience of practices of building resources like courage, listen to this interesting podcast talk, A Courageous Brain, by Dr. Rick Hanson.
Ariadne Patsiopoulos MA RCC 