We can’t underestimate the importance of courage when it comes to making positive change. In the words of the late poet and civil rights activist Maya Angelou:
I am convinced that courage is the most important of all the virtues. Because without courage, you cannot practice any other virtue consistently. You can be kind for a while; you can be generous for a while; you can be just for a while, or merciful for a while, even loving for a while. But it is only with courage that you can be persistently and insistently kind and generous and fair. Maya Angelou
The Covid-19 pandemic highlights the truth of Angelou’s statement. In early 2020, as the media reported exponential increases in Covid infections and hospitalisations that were starting to overwhelm our hospital systems, frontline workers and healthcare professionals showed extraordinary courage and dedication. They continued to show up and work tirelessly to save lives, despite the significant and often uncertain risks to their personal safety. We saw images of exhausted health workers resting on hallway floors, and when they finished work, we saw the toll of extreme fatigue and grief, along with painful wounds caused by the extended hours of wearing protective masks.
In the early days of Covid-19, we saw the best of humanity. There were heart-warming stories of compassion, with community members banding together to help those in need and selfless acts to help protect vulnerable members within our communities. It showed us what mattered all along: connection, purpose, compassion for ourselves and others, sustainable supply of essential resources, and preserving nature.
The global health crisis also showed us what’s possible. There were record levels of cooperation and collaboration between governments and organisations in decision-making and action. Environmental pollution was drastically reduced, with significant improvements in air quality and wildlife reported across the globe. Seemingly overnight, different work models were implemented, facilitated by digital technology and communications innovations. Suddenly people enjoyed more family and leisure time, not enduring long daily commutes.
Three years on, the pandemic has changed how we view the world. It has held a magnifying glass to what wasn’t working in our society. Neglecting to adequately invest in health systems, social services, environmental protection, and emergency preparedness has been a false economy. It also compounded existing problems, with women and children disproportionately affected in terms of health, social welfare, employment, and economic systems.
It has left many of us with a hunger for positive change in every aspect of our lives. But many of us are also tired. We’ve made the sprint, but we know it’s a marathon. The problem with being tired is we default to old habits and behaviours – so much of the progress made early in the pandemic hasn’t been sustained. The initial courage rallied early on has been eroded by fear, uncertainty, and fatigue.
Many of us also think we’re powerless to affect change, which can also see us reverting to old systems. While the pandemic itself is outside our control, how we respond is within our control – it’s what we decide to do next that’s critical.
We need the courage to wake up and realise the need to move from default mode. We must acknowledge that returning to a normal broken from the start is reckless. Instead, we must shape a new and better normal for ourselves and the planet. Build a better normal
When we think of acts of courage, our minds often go to heroic acts. Activists like Greta Thunberg standing up and challenging the world’s leaders on climate change; explorers and scientists taking extreme risks to gain new knowledge; aid workers and journalists who put themselves on the front line to help people in crisis and get information out to the world.
But courage and speaking truth to power transcends scale; while we can see it in these leaders, it is also in the individual selfless acts of everyday life. It’s taking action because it’s the right thing to do. As author John McCain asserts, sometimes setting the right example can be the ultimate act of courage.
What flourishes are acts of courage all around us: the teacher who takes the extra hour to work with a student that “the system” has written off; everyday leaders who take a meaningful stand on divisive social issues; athletes who dominate on the field yet quietly give back to their community; small business owners who have it all to lose…but keep working on their product or service knowing the world will be better off.
Because courage is contagious.
More than we realise, many of us have space to help others be courageous. If we show up with courage, we help to create safe communities where others feel safe, seen, and heard.
Courage is morally based and works in service of inclusion, justice, and connection. It’s facing everyday challenges with compassion. A combination of head and heart – intellectually grounded and in touch with what it means to be human. It also takes creativity – imagining what’s possible, keeping the conversation going about alternatives, and acting with humility and persistence as we envision ways to engender meaningful change.
It can feel ‘risky’ to go against the tide. Staying aligned with our values and speaking out may feel uncomfortable for fear of being disliked. But we need to have the courage to be vulnerable and self-aware, redirecting ourselves if we find ourselves putting on armour to avoid conflict or masking to fit in.
Courage starts with showing up and letting ourselves be seen. In this way we open ourselves to possibility and connection. Brene Brown
We all want our lives to mean something and have our voice heard. Showing up authentically in the world is essential to build meaningful connections and relationships with others.
Sometimes we must wrap our arms around fear to maximise opportunities for positive change. Embracing fear and pushing through takes courage and regular practice. We need to make it part of every day – challenging our assumptions and limiting beliefs, being curious, and giving ourselves permission to be ourselves and focus on what matters. Our personal and collective well-being and success depend on it.
A better normal is one where we express moral courage as much as physical, where we recognise it takes courage to continually improve ourselves and our communities – especially if there is no material recognition or reward.
We believe a better normal is possible and are sticking to our convictions. We’re exploring what it means not to give in to apathy or hopelessness; what it means to come back from a state of overwhelm and burnout; and how we can step up, speak up, and lead by example when the odds are stacked against us. Courage starts with each of us.
