Courage is the foundation of leadership. All other leadership values are brittle unless reinforced with the steel of courage. Courage does not mean to boss others around but to choose from the inside out who we truly are, to define who we are and prove that we mean business about our values – Peter Koestenbaum Ph.D.

To leap from who you THINK you should be to WHO YOU ARE!

Yes – it takes courage but it’s a jump worth taking!

In his post on ‘The Courage to Be’ Peter also says “Authenticity develops from how one chooses, not from what what one does.”

Choosing to be yourself take courage. It takes taking charge of your mentality and shutting out the negative or even well meaning comments that tell you that you need to BE this way or that in order to survive in the world.

ESPECIALLY in a world focused on HOW YOU LOOK on the OUTSIDE versus WHO YOU ARE on the inside.

I went to get my hair cut earlier today. I don’t make regular trips to get my hair OR nails done but I’m so happy that I made the effort to go. I met Richie, an Englishman, living between Black Rock Tobago and his native England for the past 11 years. He cuts your hair in his living room. Simple. Sparse as far as hairdresser stuff goes. But rich in art and pieces that draw you to them. Like the piece of driftwood that forms the frame to his kitchen. Or the little sign that points ‘seawardly’ that says “SEASIDE” that he picked up in a little eclectic shop in England. I couldn’t help but think that I needed to make this visit BEFORE completing this post today. This is what BEING YOURSELF looked liked as I stared at the sign in his porch which said “A Gardener Knows All the Dirt.”

As gardeners in our own life it’s not just about plucking out weeds of negativity and living more positively. It is about understanding our inner terrain. Our passions only half tell the tale of WHO we are. They are but the tip of the iceberg. Clues. But when we dig deeply into our earth – when we sit with ourselves – when we listen to our hearts then we CHOOSE the way that FEELS RIGHT.

Don’t be afraid. Be courageous and Rediscover Yourself.

Courage does not mean to boss others around but to choose from the inside out who we truly are, to define who we are and prove that we mean business about our values. What matters is not the what (that is why advice and logic are of little importance); what matters is the how. How [do we]…choose? The how gives…character. It solidifies individuality. It is the fire that tempers…freedom – Peter Koestenbaum Ph.D.

Rediscovering yourself is your ONLY path to TRUE FREEDOM and authentic expression.