The Gift of Courage

The Gift of Courage tells poignant and powerful stories of regular yet extraordinary people who use courage to live passionate and compassionate lives.

Courage is born of a simple desire to do the right thing. It forms when action is taken, even in the face of challenge or risk. Whether putting your life on the line or stepping just outside your comfort zone, risk is relative. Acting on your belief is not; it is required. This is courage. When a person accepts and embraces challenge and then takes action–by spontaneous demand or intentional effort–that individual’s unique greatness is revealed and shared with the world.

Some of the people in this book give of themselves through searing experiences far beyond what most of us will ever endure. Others gather courage through prolonged introspection and then take action. The rest find it in a moment of chance. In every case, their actions radiate goodness and lift the universe. This is the gift of courage.

It is likely you have never heard of any of these life changers, life makers, and lifesavers. They could be your neighbor or might live half a world away. As vital community members–a role we each can play–their purposeful impacts permeate the bounds of space and time.

In this book, the term community is used loosely. It can be a group of firefighters, soldiers, river guides, or students; it is a town, an organization, or a cause. You–as one of the readers of this book­–help form a new collective, that of people who understand the importance of courage and, in this awareness, may give more of themselves to their respective communities.