COURAGE: A Super Power.


  • Gaining courage is important in the growth of a child.

  • Youth who have courage are more likely to lead satisfying and successful lives.

  • Young minds who want something better can grow and make positive change happen.

 


 

Courage is one of the most powerful characteristics that can lead to success and happiness.

Having courage enables children to persevere when facing challenges.

When children feel good about themselves they have the power to make courageous choices.

Having courage raises children’s self-esteem.

Gaining courage is an important aspect of a child’s development.

With courage, they are more likely to lead satisfying and successful lives.

WHY COURAGE?

Children need courage when they:

  • are trying to master a new skill;

  • try new things even if they are scared;

  • do the ‘right’ thing in difficult situations; and

  • admit to the mistakes they have made.

Courage helps in coping with failures, rejections, and unexpected turns.

Courage is behind many brilliant successes.

HOW TO BUILD COURAGE:

Encourage them to:

  • Learn and understand what courage is;

  • Use news stories, television programs, movies, or books as tools to define courage and point it out when someone else demonstrates it;

  • Master new skills such as drama, sport, and music or take part in a new class;

  • Persist in the face of frustration;

  • Stand up to peer pressure, such as refusing to go along with the crowd which is doing something wrong or dangerous;

  • Explore their sense of adventure as this is where they learn new ways of being, thinking and doing;

  • Give praise and support when courage is demonstrated;

  • Give each other understanding and tolerance for imperfection as this helps them grow;

  • Realise that it’s okay to take time to get prepared and comfortable;

  • Share stories to which they may relate when thinking and doing differently, have worked out well;

  • Use respectful questions to open hearts, minds, and mouths;

  • Ask for opinions on various topics and realise they can disagree respectfully with each other;

  • Give space for their intuition to flourish – and teach them how to use it;

  • Realise that it’s never too late to change direction, change friends, or change their mind;

  • Introduce a regular routine where everyone can share something brave they did to enable them to celebrate courage.

COURAGE DISCUSSION TOPICS:

  • What is courage and how does it impact our lives?

  • Courage happens inside us to make us push through fear, self-doubt, anxiety, and do the things that feel difficult, risky, or frightening.

  • Sometimes courage is about doing the scary thing, and sometimes it’s about doing the right thing.

  • Courage could be being kind to the new student in the class, trying something new, or speaking up for something they believe in.

  • What are examples of courage that may not feel like courage?

  • Fear and courage always exist together.

  • Many people are held back from brave behaviour because of the fear of failure, but what if the goal is courage?

  • Failure and rejection are often a sign that something brave has been done.

  • The effects of courage are not always seen immediately.

  • Asking for help shows strength and takes courage.

  • Examples of courage from various sources such as books, news stories, movies, etc.

  • Mistakes are learning opportunities where they can admit their mistakes and learn how to make amends.

  • Small examples of making tough decisions and how these can show bravery in their lives.

  • Some of the world’s best ideas have often started with small ideas that made no sense at all at the time.

  • How self-talk where the ‘can’ts’, ‘shoulds’ ‘shouldn’ts‘, and ‘what-ifs’ reside is one of the biggest ways we stop ourselves from trying new things.

IN SUMMARY:

They might believe that courage comes in the way of grand gestures or superheroic feats.

The truth is, our children are being brave every day.

Every one of them is a hero as they overcome challenges.

The secret is helping them realise it so they can use it to forge ahead when they feel small, scared, confused, or unseen.

The world is capable of great things because young minds who want something better, grow into adult minds who challenge the way things are and make positive change happen.

We can encourage and assist the younger generation to learn about the power and benefits of courage. 

WHAT CAN WE DO?

It has been demonstrated that our youth learn the desired skills from youth group sessions.

What are your thoughts and comments? To forward them, please see the “How Can You Help?” section below.

 

HOW CAN YOU HELP?

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A PARENT’S GUIDE:

There is a guide available which assists parents and others working with youth.

The guide enables a person to be proactive in the success of a child’s future.

It contains activities to assist youth to gain critical soft skills.

They will become more resourceful and independent when they practice and gain these skills.

The guide is available from Our Future Leaders.

Request the Parent’s Guide herehttp://www.ourfutureleaders.ca/contact-us/

EVERY CHILD DESERVES A WONDERFUL FUTURE.

Fred Jones

Victoria, BC Canada

Fred Jones

Fred Jones

Posted in Blog and tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , .

2 Comments

  1. May I suggest an additional technique? Introduce some inspiring group musical experiences. I share here a song my choir often sings at the end of a heavy duty practice evening: Lead With Love. You will see in this video all ages are singing together. I particularly like the verse that begins “I know you’re scared”
    https://youtu.be/jJEFXpS_xPs

  2. Thanks, LowellAnn,

    Great song about putting “one foot ahead of another and lead with love” which will resonate with everyone.

    Thanks for sharing your experience.

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