Happy birthday, dear book! Today is 365 days since the launch of The Courage Way into the world. So today I celebrate by relishing a slice of cake for chocolate blessings, plus a lit candle to recall the powerful light of a single flame to dispel darkness. I invite friends to join in as a way to rejoice in community.
The Courage Way: Leading and Living with Integrity is full of stories and practices that show how to draw on courage in all that you do. In the process of writing this book for the Center for Courage & Renewal, I learned how many types of courage exist. I learned that courage takes trust — in true self, community and in the unfolding of life. I learned that reflecting on paradox of seeming opposites creates a flow of wholeness instead of fear. I decided that courage is code word for finding your “voice and agency.” I learned that self care means caring for True Self, body-mind-Heart-gut-Soul.
I learned that in your moments of courage you meet your true self. That’s because Courage is not only in you, it is you. It often takes a community of people to help you discover and remember that.
As a birthday gift to you from the book, here are two free downloads:
It Takes Courage – the poem I wrote before the book, which felt like the haiku version of the book (way longer than a haiku but more fun than starting to write from an outline). Maybe it would be called the haiku hypothesis.
Touchstones for Trustworthy Space – the practices from the Circle of Trust® approach that the book digs into and that leaders are embodying in their lives and organizations
You can find the book, ebook or audio at Amazon or your favorite bookseller. Online reviews are most welcome.
Thanks Berrett-Koehler for publishing this book! Thanks to everyone with the Center for Courage & Renewal… for the people who developed, share and embody the practices of the Circle of Trust approach. Thanks, Courage!
May your coming year be full of more courage, trust and wholeness!