Courage is a concept that can be both life-changing and elusive. We know it when we see it, but we rarely recognize it in ourselves. We aspire to it, but hardly know how to grasp it.
The greatest myth we’ve been taught is that Courage is a word fit for legends rather than regular people like us.
And yet, in a world of intense norms and expectations, Courage is what pulls us toward ourselves. It’s what we call on to pursue who we are, what we care about, and the impact we want to make in the face of the fear, judgment, and uncertainty we all experience regularly.
Simply put: we need Courage to live our truest and most fulfilling lives.
What you’ll get
By subscribing to On Courage, you’ll receive a weekly email filled with ideas, inspiration, tools, and challenges to bring more Courage into your life.
We’ll explore:
What Courage is and how it works
How to see Courage in ourselves and others
Why the world needs more Courage
How we can access and cultivate Courage in our lives
How to spread Courage in our communities
Courage isn’t to be exercised only once every few years, nor is it reserved for your biggest life moments. It requires practicing and staying in it. Wouldn’t it be great to have a weekly note in your inbox to support that?
Why I’m doing this
I believe Courage is a major highway to fulfillment, kindness, fun, creativity, and change in the world.
I also believe that one of the greatest lies we’ve been taught is that Courage isn’t for us. We’ve been taught that it’s for heroic figures of monumental proportions, not for everyday people like you and me.
And so I’m on a mission to be both a student and teacher of Courage, exploring the questions about why we need it, what it is, and how we can cultivate more of it.
I’m driven to create this Courageous community for many reasons. Being a queer dad is one of the most substantial.
Coming out when I was 16 years old (back in 1999) was my first significant moment of Courage. It changed my life. And the truth is, I’ve kept having to come out in different ways over time. No matter one’s identity, I believe we all have parts of ourselves that are being kept in a closet.
We all yearn and struggle to be out—to be bold and free.
As a dad, I want my son to grow up in a world where he knows how to access his own Courage, and where Courage is in abundance. As he gets older, I wish for people to share themselves with more conviction and less torment. Can you imagine it?
I’m certainly not the most Courageous person in the world, but that’s not the point. I just want more of it in my life. And that’s what I want for others.
If you feel the same, I hope you’ll join me.
- Elliot
“Have the courage to be who you are, not what people expect you to be.”
– David Goggins
