Courage



Emotional strengths that help us to overcome difficulty and achieve success, including bravery, perseverence, honesty, energy & enthusiasm.

Bravery

is having the courage to act despite risk or challenge. This means having the physical or moral courage to act, to help others, or to uphold a higher purpose, despite the consequences. Physical courage is choosing to act despite the possibility that you could be hurt. Moral courage is standing up for what you believe to be right, even if it's not popular. Mental courage involves overcoming your own fear or anxiety.

Simple Ways to Practise Bravery

  • Commit to a physical challenge, such as a 5km race, or cycle event. See John Bingham's book 'The Courage to Start' for inspiration.
  • Take a first aid course, or if you are over 16, consider a pool lifeguard qualification
  • Don't be afraid to ask a question, or express an opinion in a class, or a meeting even if you believe you have a different view to other people
  • Volunteer to help demonstrate something to your class
  • Don't be afraid to play with, or talk to someone who you think is a good person, but may be different, or unpopular with others
  • Resist peer pressure or conformity where you believe the expected behaviour is wrong
  • Stand up for someone who is being criticised, or treated unfairly
  • Write to your local MP about a community issue you feel should be addressed
  • Look out for examples of bravery in the news
  • In situations where you feel anxious, pretend to be someone who handles such situations with confidence
  • Practise positive statements, or affirmations that promote courage and self belief e.g. "I can do it"
  • Overcome a specific fear or phobia one step at a time, using this method:
    • 1. Take a piece of paper and draw a ladder with 10 rungs
    • 2. Consider the situation that causes you anxiety and give it a number between 1 (hardly anxious at all) and 10 (very anxious).
    • 3. Write a description of the situation on the corresponding rung of the ladder, 1= bottom rung; 10 = top rung
    • 4. Imagine you're at the bottom of the ladder. Consider a situation that is related to the one you've written at the top of your ladder, but gives you no more anxiety than a 1 or a 2 on the scale. This might be something you're able to do already, or may be the first step you'll take towards overcoming your fear.
    • 5. Consider appropriate situations that give some anxiety, on each rung in-between.
    • 6. This is your personal plan to overcome your fear, practise each step several times until you're confident with it before moving on to the next rung of the ladder.