How to Have Courage

Hey. I'm Lois Brown.

Twenty-two years in the Army. Fourteen as a combat medic. Two tours in Afghanistan. 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 And Courage — They're not opposites. They're dance partners.
When Fear Takes Over — What to do when you're frozen.
The Physical Side Of Fear — Your body's trying to help. Here's how to work with it.

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 Start Again — Getting back up 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 — Former hospice chaplain who finds courage in simply being present.
Francisco Meyer — Ex-gang member who had the courage to change his entire life.

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

After I left the military, I became a trauma therapist, specializing in first responders. Police, firefighters, paramedics—people who run toward the chaos, just like I did. They see the worst of humanity, and they carry it. I help them process it, learn to live with it, and find a way forward.

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