Courage is a quality of mind or spirit. It enables a person to have the courage of their convictions and to act in accordance with their beliefs, in spite of criticism. Courage takes enterprise, determination, endurance, audacity, fortitude, backbone, the ability to confront fear, pain, risk and uncertainty. To be who you are and to go your own way takes courage. It is easier to be a 'sheep', to follow others, please others, to stick your head in the sand. To truly be yourself and do what you want to do and be who you want to be is freedom.

To be courageous takes courage. Some people do it naturally or as part of their job, for example the forces and the police. Changing your career takes courage, after all it is much easier to do what you have always done, to mow that same path, even though you know it isn't the path that's really you. To follow a career that you really want to do for example takes courage. It risks upsetting your parents, distancing yourself from your friends or peers.  Being courageous may involve short-term sacrifices and discomfort, but the gains in the longer term and how you feel about yourself are immeasurable. Making hard decisions now to ensure the survival of a business in the longer term takes courage, so does telling a client that you no longer want to work with them because how they behave or treat you is unacceptable.     

Who comes into your mind when you think about courage? It might be someone dealing with an illness or hardship with fortitude and grace. You may not see yourself as courageous, but I bet you are. Think of times in your life when you have dealt with adversity and what enabled you to cope. People are amazingly resourceful, but they don't always give themselves credit for this.