If you’re anything like me, growing up watching superhero movies and idolizing heroic figures like Superman, Spiderman, Wonder Woman, etc. etc… I’m sure you grew up with a very clear image of what courage looked like. To me, courage meant putting yourself at risk in some way to do the right thing. What ‘putting yourself at risk’ meant to me depended on the situation, but I saw a lot of real, life-threatening, risk-taking behaviors occurring and that is what really informed how I perceived courage.
However, as a coach, as an athlete, as an entrepreneur, I know that courage really can be something that you practice on a daily basis—no life-risking behaviors required. Courage looks like choosing to acknowledge your own mistakes, choosing to ask for feedback, choosing to have a conversation with someone you’re experiencing tension with.
I now understand courage as the ability to step up to the plate in times when avoidance is the easier path; when it would be much easier to turn a blind eye than face an issue head on.
Courage is truly made up of small acts. But just because they are small, does not mean they are easy. Sometimes, staying true to ourselves, acting in accordance with our values, and upholding our own standards require great amounts of courage. Yet, the more we make these kinds of small, courageous decisions… the easier it becomes.
-Coach Lauren
