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How and Why Courage Is Contagious
When I was younger, I believed courage meant not being afraid. I didn’t understand how people could have no fear. How did they get rid of it, or just not have it in the first place??
I’ve learned that courage is actually the ability to act even though you’re afraid. It’s not being fearless. It’s the ability to take action in the face of fear.
Recovery has exponentially increased my courage. Fear no longer stops me the way it used to. The whole reason I got into recovery in the first place was that I was mired in fear and I let it stop me from so many things: my hopes, dreams, desires, relationships, everything. It might delay me now, but it doesn’t stop me the way it used to.
The most important message I’ve gotten about courage from recovery is this:
Courage is Contagious
I mean that in two different ways. First, your courage is contagious to me. When I hear or see you do something in recovery that shows courage, I believe I might be able to do that same thing. I think this is one of the many reasons why the group nature of recovery is so important. Not only do I have the support of other people in recovery, but I also get to “catch” your courage. I get to catch the courage of all the people in the recovery meetings I go to.
