Courage isn’t big and loud. It’s small, and it’s quiet.
When I speak in schools, that is the message I convey to the children. What I have realized is many adults also believe that courageous acts are reserved for heroes, and we forget it’s the little moments of courage in our everyday lives that can matter the most.
Yes, the firefighters battling wildfires in California are undoubtedly courageous and heroic. There are countless examples throughout history of people performing grand acts that leave us in awe. We might even ask ourselves, “If I were in their shoes, would I have the courage to act the same way they did?”
But here’s the thing: we often overlook or forget that courage isn’t big and loud. It’s in small and quiet moments—the ones that build our courage over time.
In my first picture book, The Little Shot: Courage, Little Shot’s grandma defines courage as
“leading from your heart despite your fear.”
I believe our hearts are inherently good (even if our actions don’t always align with that truth, but that’s another blog for another day).
During school visits, when I ask children to share who they think is courageous, they often say firefighters, the military, police officers, doctors, and nurses. And of course, I always make sure we mention teachers, because they are certainly courageous. I also recognize that these examples can sometimes feel distant and out of reach, especially for children or adults who aren’t in those professions.
That’s when I bring it back down to a level we can all relate to. I teach them:
“Courage isn’t big and loud. It’s small, and it’s quiet.”
* Courage is being a kind friend.
* Courage is seeing someone alone at recess and asking if they want to play.
* Courage is raising your hand and asking a question even when you’re unsure.
My question for all of us adults is this: Are we living courageously in ways that matter?
* Are we being kind friends to the people around us or are we participating in “mean girls” behavior? (YUCK, btw. Being mean is gross and a sign of weakness not courage and strength.)
* Are we aware of the people who are lonely or hurting around us and connecting with them or are we so immersed in our own little world that we can’t see outside of it?
* Are we “raising our hands” and asking questions or are we sitting idly by watching the world happen around us without being an active participant?
So often, adults have higher expectations of a child’s behavior than they do of their own. We must remember we set the example of how to live well, and I believe living a life of courage is a beautiful place to start.