Courage = Love
How the bravest thing you do might actually be the most loving
This Week’s Courage Newsletter
"Courage is the most important of all the virtues because without courage, you can't practice any other virtue consistently." — Maya Angelou
Scare Your Soul Challenge: The Love-Courage Connection
Bottom line: Every act of courage is actually an act of love in disguise
Dear Courageous Souls (and Secret Romantics),
Some of the most profound truths in life can be expressed in the simplest equations.
Distance = Speed × Time. This elegant formula helps us understand everything from planning a road trip to launching a rocket.
Trust = Consistency + Time. A simple way to understand how relationships deepen and strengthen.
Happiness = Reality - Expectations. The mathematical secret to contentment that philosophers have been trying to explain for centuries.
There's something beautiful about how a simple equation can capture complex truths about how the world works. They cut through confusion and give us clarity in just a few words.
Today, I want to share an equation that might sound a little crazy at first, but I believe it holds the key to understanding why some people seem to live with such extraordinary bravery:
I know, I know.
When you're standing at the edge of your comfort zone, sweating bullets and wondering if you've lost your mind, "love" probably isn't the first word that comes to mind. You're more likely thinking something along the lines of "Why am I doing this to myself?" or "This is definitely going to end badly."
But before we dive deeper into this equation, let's pause for a moment on that word "love."
When I say courage equals love, I'm not talking about the butterflies-in-your-stomach, rom-com version of love (though that has its place). I'm talking about something much more expansive.
The great Zen teacher Thich Nhat Hanh taught that "understanding is love's other name" – that true love means fully understanding and accepting what is, including our own suffering and potential. When we act courageously, we're demonstrating this deeper understanding and acceptance of what needs to happen, even when it's difficult.
This kind of love isn't just an emotion – it's a commitment to nourishing what matters most.
Let's get back to basics for a moment.
Courage is one of the seven classical virtues – timeless principles of excellence that have transcended cultures and centuries. And here's the beautiful thing about the word "courage" itself: it comes from the French word "coeur," which means heart.
That's not a linguistic accident. It's a profound truth hiding in plain sight.
Think about it:
When you choose vulnerability over protection, you're loving your authentic self enough to let it be seen.
When you speak up for what's right, even when it's uncomfortable, you're loving justice and fairness more than your own comfort.
When you pursue that creative project despite the fear of judgment, you're loving your innovative spirit enough to give it expression.
When you set that difficult boundary with someone, you're loving yourself and them enough to create healthier relationship dynamics.
When you take that career risk, you're loving your potential enough to give it room to grow.
In your past, how has courage allowed you to love yourself or others more deeply? What bold action made your life – or someone else's life – genuinely better?
I'm guessing you can think of at least one moment where your bravery was actually your love in action.
Consider some of history's most courageous figures: Martin Luther King Jr., Gandhi, Mother Teresa. What made them truly powerful wasn't just their fearlessness – it was the love that fueled their courage. They were grounded in such deep love for humanity, justice, and truth that courage became inevitable.
When we're grounded in love – love for ourselves, for others, for our values, for our potential – courage doesn't just become possible. It becomes natural.
Here's the truth we all need to hear: Life is hard.
No matter how blessed we are, we'll all face challenges that scare us.
Fear will arise – it's 100% guaranteed.
The question isn't whether you'll feel afraid. The question is: How will you respond?
Will you run, avoid, numb, or shut down?
Or will you let your heart expand and do the hard thing rooted in love?
We all know what it feels like to love a child, to love a place, to love a dream. But when we root ourselves in loving our own capacity for courage – when we fall in love with our ability to grow, to connect, to create, to stand up for what matters – the sky becomes the limit.
This Week's Scare Your Soul Challenge: The Love-Courage Connection
Identify a current fear or challenge you're facing where you've been hesitating to take action.
Ask yourself: "What would I be loving if I chose courage here?" (yourself, another person, a value, a dream, etc.)
Reframe your courage as an act of love. Instead of "I have to do this scary thing," try "I get to love _____ enough to take this brave step."
Take one small action from this place of love-rooted courage. Notice how it feels different when courage comes from love rather than obligation or force.
Reflect: How did connecting courage to love change your experience of being brave?
Remember: Every act of courage is love wearing a disguise. When you choose bravery, you're not just being strong – you're being loving.
And sometimes, the most radical thing you can do is love yourself, your values, and your potential enough to be scared and do it anyway.
With courage, love, and a heart brave enough to feel both,
By the way … even more of you took our Scare Your Soul courage quiz last week - THANK YOU! You're part of an incredible group that's helping us understand the collective courage journey.
If you haven't taken it yet, just click below!
P.S. If you share what you wrote with me, I'll respond with what I wrote about the same color. Let's create a dialogue between our creative worlds!
Some Of My Favorite Past Challenges
What Your 95-Year-Old Self is Telling You - DEC 7, 2023
Letting Go - Finding the Beauty in Saying Goodbye - AUG 23, 2023
Complaints, Be Gone! Finding Freedom in the No-Whine Zone - JUL 13, 2023
Unleashing the Magic of Unexpected Kindness - JAN 11, 2025
Fear is not the enemy - So, what is? - JUN 1, 2023
Soaring to New Heights + How Our Dreams Can Lead the Way - FEB 8, 2023
The Storm is Almost Over - OCT 19, 2023