Courage.

It has been said that courage is being aware of the fear and acting anyway. Such as we often hear of military personnel in combat. This was brought home to me very powerfully in a series of letters that a younger brother of my grandmother wrote between 1938 and early 1941.

Reading these letters provided insights into the life of a man in his mid to late twenties and had quite a profound impact. Having read Neville Shutes 'Pied Piper' in high school it was a shock to realise that a family member had actually been in France in the RAF and was among those evacuated through Dunkirk.

Frederick Benjamin White

His letters can be read on my personal blog posting of April 25th 2011.

Ben White, that was his name, was among the 55,000 from Bomber Command who paid the supreme sacrifice and yet left  a legacy by their selfless example. His generation seemed to have this philosophy of "whatever the issue, ignore it and get on with it!"

So how does this apply to those of us now experiencing the second decade of the twenty first century?

It is possible to for all of us to dream really big dreams and to achieve them, but are we prepared to do what it takes?  Some quit before they even get started, when they realise there's work involved.

Courage comes into play to fight, as Ben and those like him who've been involved in combat, for something you believe in. A desire or an ambition to achieve, to be prepared to go the distance, do what must be done, learn what must be learned and then apply all of this every day! 

Not just on the good days or the days we feel like it, but even the days when it takes a 400% effort take some very small steps towards our objectives.

Sometimes that can mean taking the day off completely, having a free day to 'Recharge' and come back to "have another go."

Courage can also come from posture. presenting an image to the world that you have what it takes and are prepared, even though you may be quaking in your boots. 

As in the words of Sir Winston Churchill on October 29, 1941, when he visited Harrow School. It was after the Blitz and things were looking up a bit for Britain. Here is the relevant part of the speech: But for everyone, surely, what we have gone through in this period -- I am addressing myself to the School -- surely from this period of ten months, this is the lesson: Never give in. Never give in. Never, never, never, never -- in nothing, great or small, large or petty -- never give in, except to convictions of honour and good sense. Never yield to force. Never yield to the apparently overwhelming might of the enemy."

There is a myth that these were the only words he spoke then sat down, but there was a lot more to Churchill's speech at Harrow.

Finding courage is to study the actions of people we call heroes and there are many different types of heroes. It may be a selfless parent who finds themself alone and who works at menial work to provide for family, the refugees who arrive in a new country with a new language and work to build a life, it may be someone afflicted with a chronic and life threatening illness and yet still comes up smiling or even someone who is prepared to say sorry and work through issues to mend broken relationships.

Courage is something that can be grown and developed as well. Studying and working with successful people, whatever you perceive success to be. Reading materials that raise awareness and encourage the development of new skills or maybe just to some old skills. Essentially it is having an attitude achievement and faith in the process.

Don't defer the development of courage as action conquers fear and each achievement lends weight to the courage to weather the storms and setbacks that are a part of the journey towards success.

The price may be high, but ultimately victory and success are sweet.

Bens resting place

Brookwood Cemetery