What does it mean to be bold, strong, courageous?

That definition will vary depending on your current and past situation, on who you look up to, and what activities, feats, and endeavors are just beyond your reach. For me, it’s individuals who followed the beat of their own drum. The men and women who courageously silence the outer chatter and listen to their own intuitive voice. It’s people who travel or move on a whim because it felt right. But it’s also those who courageously seek help, who choose to be themselves or speak out against injustice despite a strong societal desire to fit in.  It isn’t necessarily gigantic feats that make them courageous. It’s people who embrace their own strengths as much as their weaknesses and know that the battles that exist within are greater than the ones taking place outside their front door.

Some of the most heroic people I’ve met include a teenager who told me she was raped and seeking help for it and a friend who recovered from alcoholism and devoted his life to helping individuals through counseling as others had helped him. Sometimes we think the most inspiring people are the ones we see on TV. But it doesn’t have to be. It could be someone vocal about mental health or someone quietly working on themselves. It’s the vegetarian, tea drinking yoga lover as much as it is the coffee drinking meat eating mother. One thing they have in common? A desire to be kinder, more mindful and a better person. Read our posts below and you may discover a hero in your own community or in yourself.

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