Be Brave

Nancy Wake was a key figure in the French Resistance. She smuggled over a thousand refugees and allied soldiers out of Occupied France. She biked over 310 miles in 72 hours to replace lost radio codes. She was known as the White Mouse due to her skill in evading the Gestapo.She became the most decorated woman of World War II!

And in present day, Malala Yousafzai. She is an advocate for girls’ education. She survived an assasination attack and is the youngest Nobel Prize laureate.

Nancy and Malala accomplished great feats of bravery. There are other ways to be brave that are attainable in small steps. The Lakota Sioux tribe bathes their children in freezing cold water. This is a ritual that is part of a broad cultural tradition emphasizing courage and resilience. The children are gradually introduced to cold water from a very young age. It builds tolerance and teaches bravery. It fosters the community values of connection to nature, and overcoming fear.

What small steps will you take to strengthen community values of connection and goodness? Sometimes taking a small step that seems scary is the most powerful thing you can do to make your world, our world, a better place.