One of the most important ways to shape the world is through participating in government: as a voter, an organizer, a protester, a candidate, a committee member, a letter writer, a phone caller, a canvasser, a contributor, a person who—in whatever way—pushes for people and policies that support their convictions.
How do you participate in shaping your local or national government?
“I learned that courage was not the absence of fear, but the triumph over it. The brave [person] is not [the one] who does not feel afraid, but [the one] who conquers that fear.”
― Nelson Mandela
What helps you to conquer your fear?
It takes courage to step up into the spotlight, to let yourself be seen. It also takes courage to keep working in the background, doing what you know is right without recognition from the wider world.
What kinds of recognition do you enjoy? What kinds of recognition do you prefer to avoid?
“Courage is the most important of all the virtues because without courage, you can’t practice any other virtue consistently.”
― Maya Angelou
What virtue has courage allowed you to practice?
It goes against every animal instinct to jump from an airplane into thin air, even if you are supported by the best of technology and instruction. And yet, in so many ways, we do launch ourselves into the unknown, trusting that we will land safely on the other side.
When have you taken a leap of faith?
