Build Courage

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               "Success is not final, failure is not fatal.

                       It's the courage to continue that counts."

                                    Winston Churchill


These are not easy times.

My wife Jenn and I have noticed that all families seem to be going through hard stuff. The challenge then, as we go through difficult times, is to shorten the "pitty-party" and stretch the development of our personal COURAGE.

Author Brian Tracy believes that courage combined with integrity is the foundation of character. "Courage begins with your ability to stick to your principles, to stand for what you believe in, and to refuse to budge unless you feel exactly right about the alternative.

Courage is also the ability to step out with faith, to launch out into the unknown, and then to face the inevitable doubt and uncertainty that accompanies every new venture.

Most people are seduced by the lure of the comfort zone. Taking that courageous step is a bit like going out of a warm house on a cold, windy morning. The average person feels the storm swirling outside, and immediately rushes back inside to his or her comfort zone where it’s nice and warm. But not the true leader; the true leader develops the courage to step away from the familiar and comfortable in order to face the unknown with no guarantees of success.

It is this ability to “boldly go where no man has gone before,” that distinguishes you, as a leader, from the average person. And your example will inspire and motivate others to rise above their previous levels of accomplishment as
well."

Alexander the Great, King of Macedonia, was one of the most superb leaders of all time. He became king at the age of 19 when his father, Phillip II, was assassinated. In the next 11 years he conquered much of the known world, leading his armies against numerically superior forces.

Yet, when he was at the height of his power, the master of the universe,
the greatest ruler in history to that date, he would still draw his sword at the
beginning of a battle and lead his men forward into the conflict. He insisted on
leading by example.

Alexander felt that he could not ask his men to risk their lives unless he was willing to demonstrate by his actions that he had complete confidence in the outcome. The sight of Alexander charging forward so excited and motivated his soldiers that no force on earth could stand before them.

This will be true of you and me also. Mustering our courage to deal with difficulty will quietly inspire the people we care about.


My LearningsOver the years I have personally learned that “courage is not the absence of fear.” We all feel fear. During my days playing with the Washington Capitals (many years ago) our team played against the Philadelphia Flyers 10 times every season. The Flyers were known as the “Broad Street Bullies” in those days.

Some of those games would spiral out of control into bench-clearing brawls. Before each of these games, all players on our team struggled with the fear of what might happen that night, but here is what I learned… “Courage is finding ways to get through the fear I am feeling and choosing to get my best game on the ice, independent of those initial feelings.”
Courage then is developed through difficulty, practice and choice!



Thought to ponder:

“Promise me you'll always remember: You're braver than you believe, and stronger than you seem, and smarter than you think.”

(Christopher Robin to Pooh) A.A. Milne