"It takes a lot of courage to release the familiar and seemingly secure, to embrace the new." Alan Cohen

Releasing the familiar and embracing the new is what transformation is all about.  It's how we discover what works for us and what doesn't.  It's how we grow into our true selves
We often get stuck going nowhere--in relationships, career choices, etc.--because we simply lack the courage to strike out for what we really want: the sense of aliveness and purpose that comes when we know we're doing the right and perfect thing ourselves.
It requires a degree of self trust as well as courage to "release the familiar". We've often grown relatively comfortable with what we've got, no matter that it no longer satisfies us.  We've also been convinced since childhood by our parents, friends, teachers, and co-workers that it's better to be safe than sorry, but in truth and in the end, if we don't have the courage to go outside our comfort zone and change when change is warranted, then sorry is what we'll be.

"Have the courage to say no."--W. Clement Stone

No.
Such a tiny little word, yet, often, so hard to say.
No one wants to disappoint, or let down, or be an impediment to anothers wishes;, yet so often "no" is the answer that best reflects our own needs and desires--and those we need the courage to honor .
In this culture with its emphasis on a "going along to get along" conformity, we too often put ourselves on the backburner. We think we don't know enough to make the right decision.  We follow the leader, possibly ignoring a strong gut feeling that what we're saying "yes" to is not the best choice for ourselves or others.
For what if our "no" supports a better plan, a more humane choice, an opportunity to devise a more creative solution?
Your thoughtful "no" could lead to a better world.
Think about that.

Life shrinks or expands in proportion to one's courage. --Anais Nin

Anais is absolutely right!
When we're worried about what other people think, we tend to walk the straight and narrow no matter how divergent our true path.  We think that we'll be OK when we bow to mass consciousness, but we end up feeling terrible, like we've given up something important.
And we have.
We are each here to offer our own unique perspective to the world.  Have the courage to expand yourself and the world we all live in by freely giving your viewpoints, creativity, and aliveness. That's what makes the world the vast and wonderful place it is.
Yes, you really are just that important.

"Efforts and courage are not enough without purpose and direction." --John F. Kennedy

Do you have dreams of a perfect world?  Do you feel in your heart that you have a specific "purpose and direction" in your life, and know that your dreams indicate exactly what those are?
If so, do you make an effort to make your dreams a reality?  Have you charted a course toward your true north and are you walking the path towards your heart's desires?
If your answer is "yes" to these questions, I compliment you not only on your courage, but also on your clarity.

"Courage is not simply one of the virtues, but the form of every virtue at the testing point."--C. S. Lewis

C. S. makes a great point.  Courage isn't just the "form of every virtue", it shows us the form of who we are. It's hard for us to know if we really believe what we say we believe unless we're tested, and the tests often come in the form of ourselves against our world.
If we cave and let the world win, that shows that "approval" is the form of our particular virtue.
How painful it is when our fear of abandonment encourages us to abandon ourselves.
Courage helps us keep our steps firmly on our own path, say what we truly feel, and pass the test of personal integrity.

"Courage is resistance to fear, mastery of fear, not absence of fear."--Mark Twain

To be fearless is to be foolhardy.  When you have no fear, you are lacking a vital emotional element that keeps you alive.
It's like not having the sense of touch.  When you can't feel anything, you don't know when you've been injured, and when you don't know if you've been injured, death is dead ahead.
Fear keeps you cautious.
That's not a bad thing when you're approaching a pride of lions on your safari in Africa. You stay in the jeep and listen to the guide for instructions on how to make your way safely through that circumstance.
Too little fear means you jump out of the jeep and start to play with that darling lion cub. Ouch.
Too much fear and your imagination kills your desire. You don't go on the safari in the first place. You anticipate personal injury and possible death and stop dreaming of Africa before you even buy the plane tickets.
In short, too much fear and you stop living because you're irrationally afraid of dying.
Courage is when you are afraid, but you see that the fear blocks your way to something you've always wanted; so you analyze your desire and come to a full understand of the risks and benefits.  You then make the proper preparations and take the necessary precautions to minimize the risks, realize you're up to the challenge, and you go for it.
Bon voyage.

"And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition".--Steve Jobs

Last month we discussed creativity, and I learned several things.
Creativity is natural, not the exclusive property of the artist.  Everyone is creative, in ways large and small, but many people confuse being creative with being an artist.
They are not the same.  Creativity doesn't take work, but doing a piece of genuine art does.
Creativity can also take courage, since often our creative impulses are pushed aside by all sorts of forces, both societal and personal, that want to keep us from growing and changing.
Therefore, in the scary month of October, The Daily Kris is taking a look at what it means to have courage. Steve Jobs starts us off.