Wouldn’t it be great if you could prepare for courageous action like you cram for an exam — stuffing everything you need to know in your brain right before facing a test and recalling the information just in time to confidently answer. Unfortunately, growing and developing courage is not a one-time haul. The ability to…
People who realize their potential make risk-taking routine. Say the word risk. Yep, right now … Doesn’t it sound a little vulgar? Like a curse word. “Risk, please.” Did you hear it? The -sk ending makes the word come off as both tough and a bit harsh. Add an “s” to make it plural, and…
It’s time to quit when the thing you’re doing is causing you to quit on yourself. I felt the edge of the sofa cushion starting to give out. I had been sitting there for a length of time I can’t remember with my torso arched over my thighs and my elbows pressed into my knees. My feet…
Summer is almost here, and several media sources are compiling their lists of top places to visit. I thought it would be fun to compile my own summer GO list for you. Ready. Set. GO! Go For It. You won’t know until you try. Go slow. Don’t expect to get where you’re going overnight. Go…
Traveling abroad has taught me important lessons about courage, the super-virtue I champion in professional development. My recent trip to Perú, Chile and Argentina served up 20 “make-ya-say-hmm” life lessons with the theme of courage threaded throughout. I’m glad I didn’t miss the lessons, and I’m even more thrilled that I am able to share…
Maya Angelou famously said that “courage is the most important of all the virtues. Without courage, you can’t practice any other virtue consistently.” Consistently is the key word. Courage is both foundational and foremost to helping an actor consistently choose honesty, tolerance, authenticity, integrity and every other virtue. If Maya’s quote was remixed and made…
Sometimes, a powerful quote is a perfect antidote to feeling sad, stuck or shaded. These quotes on courage from amazing black women provide a jolt of motivation to keep it moving. Happy International Women’s Day. When I dare to be powerful – to use my strength in the service of my vision, then it becomes…
Is being courageous the same as being fearless? It’s a question I’m asked often, most recently by a 16-year-old attendee at the Guide, Inc youth conference where I spoke. In short, the answer is no. Here’s the longer answer. Both qualities support growth and adventure and help girls show up in the world with the…
There are rewards for confronting fear, even if the confrontation ends with girls stumbling into a corner, sliding into a fetal ball and burying their faces between their knees. The rewards I’m referring to can be hard for girls to recognize if their focus is on failed attempts, their weaknesses, how badly they embarrassed themselves…
Courage want girls to win, but it will not fight every battle. Courage never rushes to lace up its vintage combat boots and meet girls on the frontline of fear for a half-hearted or externally motivated pursuit. It would much rather chill on the sofa watching reruns of Beyoncé at Coachella than show up for…