Courage and The Mistaken Identity
When we think of courage, we’re more often than not thinking about extraordinary feats—like rushing into burning buildings or defending a nation in times of war. These awe-inspiring acts might lead us to believe that courage is a rare quality, reserved for a chosen few, beyond the grasp of ordinary individuals like you and me.
But the truth is that courage is far more human than we believe it is.
If we trace the roots of the word "courage" back to its Old French origin, we find "corage," stemming from the Latin "cor," meaning heart.
Courage, in its truest essence, is about summoning our inner strength to act despite our fears, a trait that resides within each and every one of us. While it may not always feel readily accessible, when the moment calls for it, courage emerges from the depths of our being.
In fact, in our daily lives, we exhibit courage more frequently than we realize. It's present in the face of what psychologist Maxie Maultsby calls the 'four fatal' fears of humans:
The fear of failure,
The fear of being wrong,
The fear of rejection,
And, the fear of emotional discomfort.
We All Feel Fear and We All Have Access to Courage
In her latest ‘To Work:With Love' episode on the Gut+Science podcast, Renee Smith recounts that every time she’s getting ready for one of her podcast recordings, she has to deal with fear. There’s some anxiety around doing a good job, not wanting to fail, wanting to be accepted and to share ideas that are helpful.
Fear is a universal feeling. We all feel it in different ways and in different measures in different situations.
Think about the student who nervously applies for a scholarship, uncertain of the outcome yet driven by the courage to pursue their dreams.
Or, the aspiring entrepreneur who takes the leap into the unknown, braving the possibility of failure to chase their vision.
Consider the individual who courageously seeks therapy to heal their emotional wounds, or the employee who musters the courage to share their ideas in a room full of scrutiny.
These instances of courage aren't grand gestures but rather quiet acts of courage woven into the fabric of our daily existence.
They remind us that courage isn't about the absence of fear but rather the willingness to confront it head-on, despite the trembling of our hearts and the uncertainty that lies ahead.
What's more, embracing courage is integral to our personal growth and evolution. It nurtures our sense of self and propels us towards new horizons of possibility.
Each moment of courage shapes our identity and paves the way for our continual transformation into stronger, more resilient versions of ourselves.
Yet, it's crucial to recognize that courage doesn't exist in a vacuum. Creating a supportive environment where individuals feel safe to confront their fears is equally important, particularly in the context of our workplaces.
In our next blog post, we’ll delve deeper into the significance of fostering such environments in the workplace and the role leaders play in nurturing courageous cultures.
If you're curious to learn more, we invite you to tune into the latest episode of the 'To Work: With Love' by Gut+Science podcast, where Renee Smith explores these themes in greater detail.
Together, let's embrace courage as a guiding force on our journey to thrive as individuals and as a collective.
