When we think of acts of courage we focus on heroic acts of bravery – the person who risks her life to run through fire to save her baby; the activist who resides in a huge tree in a forest day and night to save the forest; the person who risks their lives daily to fight on the front lines for their countries.

But what about those minute acts of courage –

The shy girl who loves singing so much but needs to muster courage to say her name at the audition

The teenager fired up with feelings of independence – embarking on new learning – who has to take the subway for the first time in a country far away from his own

The woman who finally gets the guts to tell her co-workers that it hurts her to hear them make fun of her size and to please stop

The husband who leaves his wife after one too many days of abuse

The child who rushes to defend the ‘new’ kid on the playground from the well known school bully

Think about your own life today. How have you been courageous? Acknowledge it and be proud of YOU!

Everyday we all take a step out of fear into an unknown world and no matter how small that step is – it takes courage – which we all find within.