Written by Peter Ruppert. Narrated by Marie T. Russell.

Courage isn’t the absence of fear but rather the decision

Courage is not about being fearless in the face of a scary situation. It is the willingness to move forward or take action— despite your fear. It’s about finding the will to bridge the gap between where you are and where you want to be, even when getting there seems daunting.

Over the years, I’ve learned that no matter how many times I act courageously, I can still count on two things:

Having the courage to move ahead despite fear is always hard work and is a never-ending growth process.

We have all likely heard this commonly quoted definition of insanity: doing the same thing over and over again, yet expecting a different result. This applies to building courage as well. If you never get out of your comfort zone, and instead continue surrounding yourself with the same people, the same perspectives and the same norms, you’ll never stretch yourself in ways that encourage you to take big leaps in your life. You’ll continue to play it safe, and you’ll never learn to be courageous.

Presidential Medal of Honor winner Desmond Doss was a conscientious objector who was drafted into World War II and required to serve in some capacity despite his beliefs. Initially, he was the object of ridicule from other soldiers for his staunch religious convictions and refusal to carry or use a weapon. Later, however...

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Peter Ruppert is founder and CEO of i-Education Group, which operates over 75 Fusion and Futures Academies for grades 6-12 in one student, one teacher classroom environments. A 20-year veteran of the education industry, he’s opened over 100 schools and acquired more than 25 others. He’s been president and CEO of organizations in the private school, charter school, and early education industries, and sat on his local public school board for 5 years. He lives with his family in Grand Rapids, Michigan.