Courage

Without question, courage is essential to the work of entrepreneurs and change agents, and anyone Working for Good. The journey to creating something new and changing something old is not easy and continually calls for courage to face the unknown, the uncertain, the never-been-done before, the "how the heck are we going to make it through this passage" passages. Here are some more reflections on Courage by my friend, colleague, and collaborator, Elad Levinson. And remember, it takes courage to ask for help! Yours in Working for Good, Jeff “Courage is going from failure to failure without losing enthusiasm.” ~ Winston Churchill Courage comes from the French word coeur, which means the heart. To have courage means to have heart. What is the relationship between having heart and Working for Good? Without heart, work becomes meaningless. Heart infuses the act of working with life-blood, which animates and infuses us with vitality and intent. With heart, anything can become a heroic journey; without heart it is just going through the motions. When does heart show up as a principle? Everywhere in the process of conceiving, connecting and collaborating to produce the big idea that is behind the product or service you want to bring to life.

• It takes heart to motivate us to do good – heart is what initiates us wanting to solve an environmental or social problem and to make a difference through our work.
• Courage – the strength of our heart – binds us to the task when the going gets rough and connects us with others with whom we share the journey.
• Courage is required to have the difficult conversations and to engage in authentic dialogue.
• Courage supplies the fuel for sustaining our effort when we are tired and dispirited. And courage is contagious. The heart-based power of others – can lift our heart and make us recall once again why are doing what we are doing.

Courage is the fuel for persistence and catalyst for decisiveness. “You gain strength, courage, and confidence by every experience in which you really stop to look fear in the face. You must do the thing which you think you cannot do.” ~ Eleanor Roosevelt LINKS: Lovetta Conto and Akawelle: life emerging out of war.