Courage

Dear Friend,

Fear is inevitable. As much as we would love to avoid this terrible feeling, we could probably think of numerous times in our lives where we've had to face scary circumstances. Such circumstances often involve us feeling vulnerable, challenged, and defeated. These are the times where our initial reaction is to run away and where courage is needed the most.

Courage is the strength we need to confront and overcome our fears. The first half of the word "courage" stems from the French word "coeur," which means heart- the so called center of our emotions. The second half of the word is "rage." Essentially, we need that drive (the same one that stems from rage) to deal with our emotions and bring out the courage within us.

It's not always easy to be courageous. We're often so blinded by frustration and weakness that we forget our ability to rise above challenges, handle them with grace, and exhibit courage. It takes courage to stand up for what we believe in, to make ethical decisions, to love someone, to take risks, to be ourselves...as you can you see, courage can be found in almost anything. However, as we said before, courage doesn't just "appear" when we need it the most. It is a choice. We must choose to stay and fight over running away from our fears.

"Courage does not always roar...sometimes courage is the quiet voice at the end of the day saying, 'I will try again tomorrow.'"

Yours truly,
Kylie and Catherine