Our theme this month is Courageous.
For most of us, when we hear that word the associations are epic — heroic acts like saving a life, going into battle, or some other version of risking everything for an important cause.
But those are the exceptions.
Way more often, it’s the tiny, every day acts of courage that define who we are and the quality of the lives we live.
Stepping outside your comfort zone to learn a new skill or visit a new place. Admitting you’re struggling with something and asking for help. Being honest with a friend about what you really think. Going to the doctor about a symptom. Creating something. Saying no. Starting over after a loss or a failure.
Fundamentally, courage is about feeling fear and taking action anyway.
It’s not about being foolhardy.
It’s about wisely risking something you care about in service of something that matters to you even more. Being willing to give up things like comfort, certainty, security, and approval in service of things like personal growth, deeper relationships, a sense of purpose, a cherished ideal, a fuller and richer life.
There’s no guarantee when you take these kinds of risks. That’s precisely what makes them acts of courage.
But when you listen deeply to yourself about what really matters to you — and consider what’s at stake if you don’t act — you’re more likely to take the little, everyday courageous leaps that together will add up to your own imperfect but beautiful life.
This month, as we explore our Courageous theme, we’ll consider important truths about courage and fear. We’ll look at the kinds of situations that tend to spark fear and explore strategies for navigating them. And we’ll do some deep reflection about what we each care about most, so we know when — and why — a courageous action is worth it, no matter how big or small that act might be.
I look forward to taking this meaningful journey together.
Explore This Theme Inside Joybook
- Journaling Series — Your Courageous Heart
- Workshop — Navigating Difficult Conversations
- Book — Big Magic: Creative Living Beyond Fear (by Elizabeth Gilbert)
- Book— Feel the Fear and Do It Anyway (by Susan Jeffers)
- Book — The Active Life (by Parker Palmer)
- Books — Kitchen Table Wisdom and My Grandfather’s Blessings (by Rachel Naomi Remen)
- Book — Grieving Mindfully (by Sameet Kumar)
- Poem — “Blessing for One Already Brave” (by Jan Richardson)
- TEDtalk — How to Speak Up for Yourself (Adam Galinsky)
- Video — Why Courage is Better than Fearlessness (Elizabeth Gilbert)