Bravery is a much misunderstood term as well as an often underrated value.
One of the biggest misconceptions about bravery is that it is an action carried out without fear. Not wanting to devalue anyone who jumped into a river to save another’s life, or anyone who pulled a person out of a burning car, but most of those life saving actions are purely gut reactions, instinctive actions which at the time happen without conscious thought of fear.

True bravery, to my mind, is action DESPITE fear. There care millions of people who perform unseen brave actions each and every day. The agoraphobic person who hasn’t ventured outside the house for ten years and finally walks out the door and takes a few tentative steps while being gripped with fear…is that not an act of immense bravery? Only because you or I cannot imagine the very real fear that this person experiences doesn’t mean that this is not an act of bravery. So bravery is not something which can be objectively judged and should always be seen in relation to the level of fear which needs to be overcome.

Bravery occurs when we face our biggest fears because we know that we cannot move forward unless we do so. Bravery involves personal struggle as well as an aware of the consequences that our doing or non doing would have.

We are faced with decisions to be brave every day. Do we pursue your goal in life, your passion , or do you make excuses because you are afraid of what might happen? Isn’t the hardest thing of all to admit , even to yourself, that you are scared, or weak, or have emotional needs? Acknowledging and sharing fears with others is incredible brave but also very rewarding. It means allowing ourselves to be vulnerable, which is probably one of the hardest things for a human being to do!

So you don’t need to hit newspaper headlines or fight wars in order to be seen as brave. There is no need to perform risky tasks to impress your peers. It’s not bravery to jump down a high cliff into the water below as a dare. Bravery is about doing things which will enhance your life and strengthen you as a person.

I am not taking away from those real life ‘ heroes’ who do perform great acts of bravery, who do jump into rivers to save lives. But the braveness lies in the acknowledgment and acceptance that one’s own life will be in danger, yet that the risk is worth taking.

Luckily, everyone can be brave, because essentially bravery is a decision between ‘ yes’ and ‘ no’. It’s as simple as that. It’s asking yourself whether the potential consequences of facing your particular fear are worth taking a risk for. You begin to feel brave the very moment you decide to face your fear!