What Does It Mean to Show Courage?

What does it mean to show courage?  As we continue reading Run by Eric Walters, which focusses on Terry Fox's courageous attempt to run across Canada, let's think about some of the ways WE show courage everyday. Sure, we aren't running across Canada on one leg, but believe it or not, we are doing many courageous things everyday - especially during middle years!  I found some excellent writing prompts we can us here but also I've copied them below. Thank you to writingthroughlife.com for these excellent ideas!

1. What’s your personal definition of courage? Have there been times in your life when you’ve needed to be courageous? Write about one of those times: what was the situation and what did you do?
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2. Is there someone in your life whom you would characterize as courageous? If so, in what ways? Write about what, in this person’s courage and demeanor, you admire. Then write about the ways in which you, also, exhibit these same qualities (you know you do).
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3. What do you think C.S. Lewis meant by, “Courage is not simply one of the virtues, but the form of every virtue at the testing point.” Describe how courage might come into play when another virtue is challenged in some way.
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4. Complete the following sentences: “Every day, I am afraid of …” and “Every day, I show courage by …”
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5. Write about the ways in which your views of courage were shaped. How did family attitudes, movies, and books influence your beliefs about courage? Of these, which seems the most important or influential? (Hint: it’s the one that pops into your mind as a powerful memory image.) Do you believe these influences were beneficial, or not, and why?
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6. Sometimes, it takes courage just to be yourself in the face of a societal norm that doesn’t accept you. Are you or do you know someone like this? Maybe you’ve always been told you’re too loud, draw too much attention to yourself (or not enough), take too many risks (or not enough); maybe you’ve had to fight to accept yourself. If so, in what ways do you hide yourself and in what ways do you express yourself? In this context, would you say you’re courageous or not, and why?
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7. Describe an area of your life in which you wish you were more courageous? What is it, and how would you benefit?