I was invited to the Courage Summit last fall at the Gallup Institute in Washington D.C.  Attended by psychologists, sociologists, PhD's, (and a few of us "wanna be" students of the subject), it seems that my interest in courage is nothing new. 

Cynthia Pury, a professor at Clemson University, spoke about "The Ugly Duckling," asking if courage was more than standing up to mistreatment.  Her research has led her to conclude that the label "courage" must apply to situations where the losses are greater than the gains.

Shane Lopez, from the University of Kansas, shared that even the NFL is studying courage.  They're using their research to determine the best draft picks, and not just to learn which man is a better athlete.  The teams want to know who is more likely to want the ball and perform in the clutch.

A big eye-opener came from Dora Gudrun, a psychologist from Iceland, who explained that the Icelandic language differentiates between positive and negative courage. Fifldirfska refers to an act of courage done for evil reasons, such as occurred on 9/11.  It supposes that those flying the planes into buildings were exercising courage, despite the horrific results.

In my far less scholarly world, this quote from writer Eudora Welty sums up courage nicely for me: "A daring life begins within."  I interpret that as not to put pressure on myself to be more courageous, but rather to feel more courageous.  Remember the adage, practice makes perfect?  If we practice feeling courageous, I believe when we need to act courageously, it will come much more easily and naturally.  Sort of like typing or riding a bike.

How about giving it a try with me?  I think you'll be pleased with the results!