The Truth about Courage

Lots of people think being courageous is about throwing yourself into a larger-than-life mission, transcending the limits of your humanity to perform superhuman feats of strength or intellect.

But the most important kind of courage isn’t found in extraordinary situations. It’s found in ordinary ones – the everyday moments that slip by without us even noticing.

The moment you resist grabbing a candy bar in the checkout aisle…


… the moment you decide to finish your college degree…

… the moment you submit the application for your dream job…

… the moment you smile at the cutie in the coffee shop…

… the moment you apologize for a simple mistake…

… the moment you forgive someone who never bothered to apologize…

… the moment you ask for help…

… the moment you decide to give help to someone you know doesn’t deserve it.

It’s in these moments, these everyday moments, that true courage is found.

It’s not flashy or glorious. There’s no applause. No one gives you an award or puts you on the cover of a magazine. Hell, there’s a good chance nobody will even notice.

And yet… it doesn’t matter.

The difference between a coward and a hero isn’t a grand mission or a large crowd; it’s the recognition that the small moments matter. By being courageous with the insignificant choices in life, you build the strength you’ll need to face the enormous ones, to do the great and extraordinary things people will remember forever, to change the world in wondrous ways.

The opposite is also true. To expect yourself to make a big leap of courage without having made dozens or even hundreds of small ones isn’t just unrealistic but also strangely cruel.

No one is that strong. Not even the greatest heroes who walked the earth were born that way. They built their courage one tiny, insignificant choice at a time, growing it like a muscle over years or even decades, slowly becoming a person who could face anything that challenged them.

You can too. You just have to realize every choice matters – yes, every choice – for it’s in those everyday choices that courage is grown and heroes are formed.

So, choose wisely, my friend. The future is counting on you.