Courage is the ability to face fear, pain, danger, uncertainty, hardship, threats of violence, and violence—even when it feels unbearable—because something more important is at stake. It doesn’t mean we are not afraid; it means we choose to act in spite of fear. Courage is the decision to do the right thing even when we are afraid.


Every young person is born with courage and eager to do the right thing. Courage is part of our humanness. But the conditions under which we grow up are often brutal, scary, and violent. As young people, we are targeted. We are threatened and forced to submit to inhumane conditions. In those conditions, we are forced to give up our courage.


But young people express deep indignation when their humanness is under attack. Have you seen a two-year-old fight for their way [of thinking]? They are resistance fighters. They are bold, indignant, and persistent. It can be hard for us, as adults, to see this. It brings up how we, too, tried to fight back as young ones, and how we weren’t supported to discharge or re-evaluate those early hurts.


This oppressive society works systematically to break our ability to stand together to resist and to act courageously for what is right. Fear gets installed in every mind—fear of connection, of unity, of speaking up, of standing out, of resistance, of taking rational action.


And still, this moment requires courage. Our courage is there, but it’s buried under piles and piles of distress.


We have to discharge fear and be very disciplined about it. There are no two ways about it [no alternative options]. We have to feel it, look at it squarely in the eye, call it out—It’s you and me, “Fear”—and scorn it. Let’s become experts on fear busting!


Capitalism makes billions of dollars distracting us from feeling fear and discharging it. We are encouraged to turn to substances and distractions that numb fear. But in Co-Counseling sessions, we have to go for fear. To reclaim our full courage in this moment, we must discharge fear. Our early material [distress] is still confusing and painful, but let me remind you: none of us are little any more. We are powerful and have the RC Community to help us with perspective, discharge, and re-evaluation.


In session, discharge on early memories of standing up for what was right—standing up to young people’s oppression and other oppressions, abuse, and injustice. Discharge on the times you were a small young person filled with indignation against dehumanization and how badly you were treated for it. 


But we can’t wait until everything is discharged to take courageous action. Don’t wait until it’s all cleaned up. You can decide and act courageously today.


If there was ever a moment that called on us, it’s this one.


Being courageous, arm in arm with others, can actually be joyful. We get to be courageously alive together.