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Revision as of 19:16, 1 January 2026

Welcome. I'm Lois Brown.

Twenty-two years in the Army. Fourteen as a combat medic. Eight more running trauma therapy groups for veterans. I've seen courage up close—the kind that gets medals and the kind that never gets noticed. They're not as different as you'd think.

Here's what I know: Courage isn't the absence of fear. It's action despite fear. Every person who has ever done anything brave was scared. They just moved anyway.

Where to Start

If you're paralyzed by fear:

Fear Of Failure — The fear that stops most people. Let's talk about it.
Courage And Fear — They're not opposites. They're dance partners.

If you need courage for everyday life:

Everyday Courage — The courage most people miss
Moral Courage — When doing right costs something
The Courage To Be Different — Standing apart from the crowd

If you're facing something specific:

Finding Courage In Crisis — When everything falls apart
Courage After Betrayal — When trust is broken
Courage In Relationships — The hardest kind

If you've failed or stumbled:

When Courage Fails — It happens. Here's what to do next.
Courage To Change — Starting over takes guts
The Courage To Be Wrong — Admitting it is brave

The Writers Here

I'm not alone. These writers have each faced their own battles:

Tracy Carlson — Corporate survivor who learned that saying no takes more courage than saying yes
Kyle Smith — Electrician and single dad who finds courage in showing up
Gertrude Carroll — Former nun who had the courage to leave everything she knew

We've all been afraid. We've all moved anyway. Sometimes we didn't. That's part of the story too.

A Note on This Wiki

This isn't motivational poster territory. I don't have slogans for you. What I have is experience—mine and others'—about what courage actually looks like in real life.

It's messier than the movies. It's quieter. And it's available to you right now, in whatever you're facing.

Take what helps. Leave what doesn't.

— Lois Brown, still serving

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
-Welcome. I'm Ray Bates.
+Welcome. I'm Lois Brown.
-I taught philosophy for thirty-five years at a small college in Vermont. I've read Aristotle, Camus, the Stoics. I've debated meaning with graduate students at midnight and with hospice patients at dawn. And after all that reading and talking and thinking, here's what I know for certain:
+Twenty-two years in the Army. Fourteen as a combat medic. Eight more running trauma therapy groups for veterans. I've seen courage up close—the kind that gets medals and the kind that never gets noticed. They're not as different as you'd think.
-The question matters more than the answer.
+Here's what I know: Courage isn't the absence of fear. It's action despite fear. Every person who has ever done anything brave was scared. They just moved anyway.
-If you're here at 3 AM wondering what it's all for, you're not broken. You're awake. Most people never ask. The asking itself is a kind of meaning—it means you haven't settled, haven't given up, haven't accepted the first easy answer that came along.
 == Where to Start ==
-'''If everything feels empty right now:'''
+'''If you're paralyzed by fear:'''
-* [[When Life Feels Empty]] — Start here. No false hope, just honesty.
+* [[Fear Of Failure]] — The fear that stops most people. Let's talk about it.
-* [[The Meaning Crisis]] — You're not alone in this. It's a cultural moment, not a personal failure.
+* [[Courage And Fear]] — They're not opposites. They're dance partners.
-'''If you're searching for purpose:'''
+'''If you need courage for everyday life:'''
-* [[The Search For Purpose]] — The difference between finding and creating meaning
+* [[Everyday Courage]] — The courage most people miss
-* [[Purpose Vs Happiness]] — They're not the same thing, and that matters
+* [[Moral Courage]] — When doing right costs something
-* [[Work And Purpose]] — When your job isn't your calling
+* [[The Courage To Be Different]] — Standing apart from the crowd
-'''If you've lost something or someone:'''
+'''If you're facing something specific:'''
-* [[Finding Purpose After Loss]] — When the thing that gave you meaning is gone
+* [[Finding Courage In Crisis]] — When everything falls apart
-* [[Meaning In Suffering]] — The hardest question I've ever tried to answer
+* [[Courage After Betrayal]] — When trust is broken
+* [[Courage In Relationships]] — The hardest kind
-'''If you want to build something:'''
+'''If you've failed or stumbled:'''
-* [[Creating Something Larger]] — Legacy, contribution, leaving a mark
+* [[When Courage Fails]] — It happens. Here's what to do next.
-* [[Legacy And Purpose]] — What will remain when you're gone?
+* [[Courage To Change]] — Starting over takes guts
-* [[Small Acts That Matter]] — Not everything meaningful is grand
+* [[The Courage To Be Wrong]] — Admitting it is brave
 == The Writers Here ==
-I'm not alone in this project. The writers here have each wrestled with meaning in their own way:
+I'm not alone. These writers have each faced their own battles:
-* '''Gertrude Carroll''' — A former nun who left the convent and found meaning outside the walls
+* '''Tracy Carlson''' — Corporate survivor who learned that saying no takes more courage than saying yes
-* '''Kyle Smith''' — An electrician who discovered that building things with your hands is its own answer
+* '''Kyle Smith''' — Electrician and single dad who finds courage in showing up
-* '''Francisco Meyer''' — A man who lost everything and had to rebuild meaning from scratch
+* '''Gertrude Carroll''' — Former nun who had the courage to leave everything she knew
-We don't agree on everything. That's the point. Meaning isn't a formula—it's a conversation.
+We've all been afraid. We've all moved anyway. Sometimes we didn't. That's part of the story too.
 == A Note on This Wiki ==
-This isn't a self-help site with seven easy steps. If you want quick answers, you won't find them here. What you'll find is people thinking out loud about the hardest questions humans ask.
+This isn't motivational poster territory. I don't have slogans for you. What I have is experience—mine and others'—about what courage actually looks like in real life.
-Some of what's here will resonate. Some won't. Take what's useful. Question the rest.
+It's messier than the movies. It's quieter. And it's available to you right now, in whatever you're facing.
-The search itself is the thing.
+Take what helps. Leave what doesn't.
-''— Ray Bates, still asking''
+''— Lois Brown, still serving''
 [[Category:Main]]