Courage doesn't simply materialize out of thin air. Courage begins years before, often in the early days of childhood, as we forge our character. Each choice we make either strengthens or weakens it. Ultimately, it is our character that forms the unshakable, unbreakable foundation for courage.
Seven character traits that courageous people share:
1. Integrity: Go to a Place Beyond Reproach.
The point [is] not to be honest by the barest of margins. [My parents urged] me to go far past that – to a place beyond reproach. They wanted me to value integrity so much that I would be willing to stand up and fight for it.
2. Determination: Stay Strong in Adversity.
Courage isn’t the absence of fear. It is the management of fear. Courage is being afraid but then doing what you have to do anyway.
3. Compassion and Love: Look Beyond Yourself.
Revealing your love and compassion doesn’t weaken your leadership. It makes it stronger. Love – not duty – is what makes a firefighter run into a flaming building to save someone he or she has never met.
4. Wisdom: Learn from Others Wiser Than Yourself.
Our experiences mold and shape our wisdom. However, we can save ourselves some pain by learning from the wisdom of others. King Solomon said, “Listen, my child, to what your father teaches you. Don’t neglect your mother’s teaching. What you learn from them will crown you with grace and clothe you with honor.”
Courageous people are lifelong learners and apply wisdom from the difficult situations they encounter.
5. Hope: Encourage Optimism.
In the depths of the Depression, during his first inaugural address, President Franklin D. Roosevelt said, “Let me assert my firm belief that the only thing we have to fear is fear itself – nameless, unreasoning, unjustified terror which paralyzes needed efforts to converts retreat into advance.
Fear parlayzes. Hope mobilizes.
6. Composure: Don’t Let Emotion Override Wisdom.
The more emotional things get, the calmer you have to become to figure your way out. As the adage goes, “Don’t sweat the small stuff.” If you worry or panic about the small, day-to-day events in your life, you won’t be prepared for the big ones.
7. Faith: Gain Strength from God.
Prayer and faith in God give us a strength that’s impossible to attain any other way. Perhaps that’s why most of us, when the chips are down, stop and pray for guidance and strength.
Choices and Character
No magic formula can completely prepare us for crises in life. However, each choice we make now will impact how we handle those crises in the future. Make your choices count. Dedicate time each day to developing your character. If you do, courage will be there when you need it most.
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