Choosing Courage

‘It wasn’t chance or mere luck when someone radiated brightness, it was a very deliberate and conscious act. Staying soft when the world could have made you hard, and keeping your heart open when it wants to close are some of the bravest things a human can do’. This quote from Emma Carey’s memoir immediately struck me because of how strongly it resonated with how I’ve come to think of courage- a choice, especially with all the hardships that can go alongside living with marginalised identity in a world where we’re often excluded and/or overlooked. Reading that quote, you could also be forgiven for questioning whether or not it borderlines on toxic positivity. I feel like there’s validity in that, because there is potential to tip into toxic positivity if it’s taken too far. Another quote Emma Carey’s could be considered in relation to though is this one from The Princess Diaries; ‘Courage is not the absence of fear, but rather the judgement that something else is more important than fear.’ That suggests the choice to be courageous, because the act of courage feels more important than the alternative of not being brave. That’s not to say it’s not scary to move through hardship, challenge or struggle. Courage just means that you try anyway. That trying is courage, as is choosing to trust others with your personal story, or parts thereof. Honouring these everyday acts of courage is the purpose behind why we hold Courage among our values.

We’ve talked about courage being a choice, but that doesn’t mean it’s always necessarily the right choice. Something is courageous for a reason, which also means that when we choose courage, it can take a toll on us. Sometimes that courage may be forced, like sometimes when we have to go out into the world when we’re really not feeling it, or going through the necessary therapies to keep us well. In scenarios like these, forced courage may be necessary, but when it’s forced by way of courage being pushed upon us and demanded of us, then it might tip a little into toxic positivity, which is pressure to exclusively display positivity, at the expense of any negative emotions or negativity someone might be experiencing beneath the surface. Courage is, in a way, a form of positivity, though one that can come at a cost. So if you recognise that you’ve made a courageous choice today, I’d encourage you to firstly take the time to acknowledge it celebrate it and honour it, then, take a step back, a breath and a break to allow yourself to recharge and reset.