Day 182: The Month of Courage Begins
Courage is not the absence of fear — it’s choosing to move through fear anyway.
A World Begins to Bloom
There’s a quiet scene in the film Pleasantville that carries a powerful truth. A young woman, previously rendered in black and white, picks up a paintbrush and adds a single stroke of red to a canvas. It’s an act so subtle you could miss its weight but it marks a turning point. Color begins to enter her world. Not just on her canvas, but in the world around her. Slowly, the dull monotony of Pleasantville gives way to something unpredictable, vulnerable, and fully alive.
The color doesn’t come from rebellion. It comes from feeling. From choosing desire over duty, curiosity over conformity. And that act of stepping into one’s truth despite fear is the essence of courage. In the real world, many of us are still living in black and white. We follow routines that keep us safe. We bite our tongues. We downplay our dreams. And yet, there is something within us that longs to paint in color.
This month at Lucivara, we begin walking toward that color.
July is not about fearlessness. It’s about forward movement with fear in hand. It’s about speaking when your voice shakes, trying when you feel unsure, and stepping into your truth even when no one else is watching. Courage doesn’t always look like the warrior. Sometimes it looks like getting out of bed. Sometimes it’s choosing kindness when bitterness would be easier. And sometimes, it’s picking up the paintbrush, knowing the world might not understand the shade you choose.
Let this be the month you choose anyway.
The Science of Fear & the Practice of Courage
When we think of courage, we often imagine bold acts: leaping from cliffs, speaking truth to power, or charging into battle. But in the brain, courage begins much more quietly and much closer to fear.
Our nervous systems are biologically wired to prioritize safety. The amygdala, a part of the brain involved in emotional processing, is responsible for detecting threats and triggering the fight-or-flight response. This served us well in a world filled with predators and physical danger. But in modern life, the amygdala still fires when we contemplate sending a vulnerable email, starting a new project, or saying “I love you” first.
In fact, research by neuroscientist Joseph LeDoux shows that the amygdala processes fear signals before the rational brain gets involved. This means that much of what we interpret as danger today (e.g. public speaking, rejection, change) is actually a biological habit rather than an accurate threat assessment. Understanding this helps us reframe fear: it’s not weakness; it’s a safety protocol. And the presence of fear doesn’t mean you’re failing. It means you’re human.
So how do we build courage?
Psychologists Cynthia Pury and Shane Lopez define courage not as the absence of fear, but as a volitional act: a conscious choice to pursue a meaningful goal despite fear. This means courage can be practiced. It’s not a trait some people are born with. It’s a skill we strengthen each time we act in alignment with our values even when we’re afraid.
This idea is supported by the work of Albert Bandura, whose theory of self-efficacy (i.e. the belief in one’s ability to succeed in specific situations) shows that people are more likely to take bold action when they trust themselves to handle whatever happens next. Every time you do something difficult and survive it, your brain stores a new pattern: “I can handle this.” That’s courage, rewiring itself.
But courage isn’t only personal. It’s also contagious.
Studies in behavioral psychology show that when people witness acts of bravery, whether in real life or through storytelling, they’re more likely to act bravely themselves. This social modeling effect is precisely what we see in Pleasantville: one character paints, another feels, and slowly a once-monochrome town begins to come alive. The change doesn’t come from revolution. It comes from people daring to feel.
The same is true in our lives. A parent chooses therapy and inspires their child to speak up. A friend sets a boundary and helps others see their own worth. A colleague shares an idea no one else voiced and the room breathes differently afterward.
Brené Brown, in her research on vulnerability, reminds us: “You can’t get to courage without walking through vulnerability.” True strength isn’t posturing. It’s the willingness to risk being seen. Being wrong. Being real.
And perhaps the greatest truth is this: you’ve done this before.
You’ve shown up scared and done the thing anyway. You’ve let go of something that wasn’t right. You’ve whispered your truth even when no one clapped. Those moments may not have been celebrated. But they mattered. They built you.
This month, we return to that part of you not the curated version, but the honest one. The one who colors outside the lines. Who feels deeply. Who dares, even when the outcome is uncertain. That part of you is already brave. July is simply your invitation to remember.
Reflection & Practice
Journal Prompt: When was the last time you did something afraid and what did it teach you? What’s one thing you want to do this month, even if fear joins you?
Mantra for the Month: This month, I walk toward color. I will not shame my fear but I will not obey it either.
A Blessing to Begin
Courage doesn’t always roar. Sometimes, it’s a whisper: “Show up anyway.”
Let this be the month you show up to your own life not with perfection, but with presence. The world may not always understand the colors you choose.
But that’s okay. You weren’t made to blend in. You were made to bloom.
This month, may you meet yourself in small, brave moments. May you move through fear with softness. And may you trust that the quietest acts of truth ripple outward in ways you’ll never fully see.
Let July be a beginning. Let it be vivid. Let it be yours.
Welcome to the month of courage. We rise together.
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