What first comes to mind when you think of courage?
Physical acts of bravery?
Maybe the courage Captain “Sully” Sullenberger showed in 2009, when he safely guided US Airways Flight 1549 to an emergency water landing in the Hudson River, saving all 155 people on board.
Or moral courage—the kind that chooses principle over comfort?
Like when African American Rosa Parks refused to give up her seat on that Montgomery bus in 1955, sparking a movement that changed history.
These are public displays of courage—remaining calm and taking effective action despite fear, risk, and uncertainty.
The Kind Nobody Sees
But there are more private and subtle forms of courage. The kind that happens in the quiet spaces of your life, where no one's watching.
It takes courage to keep learning and growing, to show up despite your limitations and difficult circumstances. To reach for your highest potential when every instinct says to play it safe.
What about the courage to be authentic, to let people see you as you really are?
Or the courage to simply try one more time.
Three Decades and One Weekend
I was thirteen when I lit my first cigarette. I thought it would help me fit in with the other kids.
Thirty years later, I was still smoking.
On Mother's Day weekend in May 2002, I finally quit—after what felt like countless failed attempts.
What made the difference wasn't willpower. It was finally understanding why I kept reaching for cigarettes. Smoking had become my misguided attempt at self-comfort, my way of avoiding certain feelings and emotional pain.
Over three decades, cigarettes had become like a companion I could count on through the ups and downs of life.
That's what addictive substances do—they masquerade as friends while keeping you captive.
What finally freed me was the courage to face that truth and try again, even after repeated failures.
Like a tree that bends in the storm but doesn't break, each 'failed' attempt had been strengthening my roots. Each one was preparing me for the moment when I'd have what it took to stand firm.
Maybe you've had a moment like this too—where you realized that courage wasn't about being fearless, but about facing your truth even when your hands were shaking. What looked like failure from the outside was actually preparation for the breakthrough that was coming.
"Courage," Higher Ground Leadership® expert Lance Secretan once wrote, "is the place where change begins."
It's daring to create something new in your life and trusting yourself to do the work—every single step—toward the result you want. It's having faith that the strength and energy you need will show up when you need it.
So you can challenge the status quo, own your power, and move boldly in a new direction.
The Compass You Already Carry
These days, when I'm faced with something that requires courage, I remind myself of that Mother's Day weekend in 2002. If I could transform something that held me captive for three decades, what else might be possible?
The truth is, you already have everything you need.
Courage isn't something you find 'out there'—it's been inside you all along, waiting for the moment you're ready to trust yourself enough to begin.
What are you waiting for?
7 Ways to Feel More Courageous | Very Well Mind
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ADVICE AND INSPIRATION FOR FEELING WILDLY ALIVE
Iconic Failures That Will Inspire You to Try One More Time
From Oprah to Einstein, our favorite famous people have seen their fair share of failures, mistakes, mishaps, and losses.
16 Iconic Failures of Wildly Successful People | The Healthy
Making New Friends in Midlife and Beyond
Research shows that friendship is strongly related to happiness, mental health, and longevity in the second half of life. These 12 techniques for connecting with friends can increase your comfort seeking out and taking initiative with potential friends.
12 Ways to Make Friends in Midlife and Beyond | Psychology Today
Women of the Sandwich Generation
Many of us are “sandwiched” between two generations — having children who aren’t fully independent in addition to aging parents who require our attention. Which leads to the inevitable stress of being pulled in multiple directions.
One Woman's True Story | Elektra Health
What Women of All Ages Need to Know About Bone Health
People used to think that osteoporosis was an inevitable part of aging. Today we know a lot more about how to prevent, detect, and treat the disease.
You are never too young or old to take care of your bones. Good lifestyle habits can help you protect your bones and decrease your chance of getting osteoporosis.
What Women Need to Know | Bone Health & Osteoporosis Foundation
Inspiring Book Recommendations
From our How She Thrives bookshop, a handful of encouraging and inspiring books on hope, courage and creative living:
Big Magic: Creative Living Beyond Fear
Hope Rising: How the Science of Hope Can Change Your Life
8 Ways to Hope: Charting a Path Through Uncertain Times
Beyond Anxiety: Curiosity, Creativity, and Finding Your Life's Purpose
The Tools: 5 Tools to Help You Find Courage, Creativity, and Willpower
Bravely: Inspiring Quotes & Stories from Trailblazing American Women
Little Bits of Light
Words to open your heart and SOOTHE your sOUL
Photos by: Blazej Lyjak at Shutterstock (#1) & Linda Wattier (#2)
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