Courage is not the absence of fear but taking action despite your fear. To be courageous is to be willing to deal with the dangerous, the difficult and the unpleasant things in life.
I love the Cowardly Lion from The Wizard of Oz. He was afraid of everything, because of his fears he thought he needed the Wizard to give him ‘Courage’, yet when it came to protecting his friends he was willing to pounce into danger even though he was terrified, he had the courage all along.
Courage stands up for the people we care about and for our values and what we believe. ‘I learned that courage was not the absence of fear, but the triumph over it. The brave man is not he who does not feel afraid, but he who conquers that fear.’ Nelson Mandela