Main Page

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