The Eight Courage Pathways
Courage Pathways help Courage Keepers make informed and brave decisions.
CONNECTING
Connecting with others encourages us to be hopeful and motivated. We believe that taking action by initiating or partnering in an interaction with someone else will provide us with a sense of belonging, support, and encouragement despite feelings of fear or inadequacy.
COMMITMENT
Commitment provides direction and helps people assess their priorities and values. When you commit to something, you establish clear goals, believe in yourself, and have multiple pathways to get there. This direction can override the fear of the unknown, as you focus on the desired outcome. This can be a strong driver of behavior, being diligent and persistent.
COMPETENCE
Competence refers to the ability to possess the necessary skills, knowledge, and expertise required to achieve a specific objective. This can help reduce uncertainty and increase the potential for a positive outcome.
CURIOSITY
Curiosity allows us to explore the unknown. Instead of ruminating over fear, we can lean into discomfort and wonder why we fear the situation. While tolerating uneasiness, the fear becomes less intimidating. Curiosity encourages us to be brave, seek knowledge, dig deeper, ask questions, explore new viewpoints, and devise innovative solutions.
CORE VALUES
Core Values are personal beliefs that guide our behaviors and actions. They provide a moral foundation for our decision-making. Acting in alignment with our values can give us the strength to exhibit courage.
CONFIDENCE
Confidence is the belief that we are capable of effective action. We can build confidence by recalling past experiences where we have been courageous, witnessing others being brave, receiving supportive feedback from those in our corner, and accurately understanding our physical and emotional state, which allows us to transform fear into positive energy.
COMPASSION
Compassion is recognizing someone’s pain and the desire to help ease their suffering through kindness, understanding, support, care, and concern. A compassionate Courage Seeker sees the need and feels the urge to help. It becomes the fuel for courageous action, even when complex and challenging. Second, self-compassion extends kindness and understanding to a Seeker during adverse experiences.
CONSCIOUSNESS (mindfulness)
Consciousness (Mindfulness) Mindful self-awareness helps Seekers differentiate real from perceived threats based on the past or the future that show up as limiting or stuck thoughts. By observing thoughts and feelings without judgment and focusing on the present, Seekers can make a more rational assessment of the situation and create space for making conscious choices over shutting down and being overly self-critical.