Courage is indispensable.
Courage is power.
Courage is glorious—
A rare fire in the human soul,
A strength that does not bow.
It takes courage to remain consistent
When the world demands that you change.
It takes courage to be honest
When truth comes with a price.
It takes courage to be transparent,
To stand unafraid in the light.
It takes courage to defend the truth
When silence would be easier.
It takes courage to do what is right
When wrong appears more rewarding
in a world so rife with evil.
It takes courage to be kind
In a world that dearly rewards villains
over the righteous.
It takes courage to remain humble
When applause surrounds your name.
It takes courage to choose good over gold,
Principle over profit,
And character over fame,
And service over ambition.
It takes courage to resist temptation,
To walk away from what corrupts,
To refuse the sweet intoxication
Of power and authority.
For power can elevate a man,
But only character can sustain him.
Authority can open every door,
But humility keeps the heart worthy
Of walking through them.
It takes courage to honor humanity—
To see dignity in every face,
To lift the fallen,
To defend the weak,
To be gracious to the weary,
And compassionate toward the broken.
For courage is not merely
The strength to confront an enemy;
Sometimes, courage is choosing mercy
When vengeance is within reach.
Sometimes, courage is forgiveness.
Sometimes, courage is restraint.
Sometimes, courage is standing alone
With nothing but conscience
As your witness.
Courage is the quiet power
To remain good when evil is easier,
To remain truthful when lies are convenient,
And to remain human when power
Tempts you to forget your humanity.
That is courage.
That is strength.
That is glory.
