Happiness means having courage. You need to have the wherewithal to let go of the past, and create again. Life isn’t for wimps. It takes inner strength to overcome obstacles and move forward when life feels overwhelming. But what I know for sure is that no matter what circumstances or situation you are facing (health crises, financial bankruptcy, death of a loved one or more) that life can support you.

Courage comes from the Latin word “cor” meaning heart. So you need to have heart when moving forward – this means living in a way that is heartfelt, authentic, honest and centered in the Truth of your being. I know that if you give this world your best, and don’t attach to how it will get returned to you something miraculous is bound to happen.

Since we are all traveling this collective journey of courage, I am going to share some tips to bolster your courage and move you toward your happiest life. They are:

Get Inspired Daily– Become a student of someone who seems super courageous to you whether you know that person personally or it’s someone on the world stage. Some people that I find incredibly courageous are: Nelson Mandela, His Holiness the Dalai Lama, Oprah Winfrey, Marianne Williamson, and my grandmother. Of course, you can also connect with someone from history like Abraham Lincoln that stood on his convictions or Martin Luther King, JR. But really feel the strength it took for that person to follow the path of their dreams and overcome obstacles.

Look Within – Courage can be bolstered by learning about how much other people have overcome, and that you have the same strength in you. Another way to strengthen your courage muscle is to slow down, and listen to what is seeking to emerge within you. What quality is the universe trying to nurture in you? Is it patience, love, kindness, prosperity, forgiveness, joy, generosity or service (to name a few)? Because as we develop a sense of openness we are then candidates for insight. We begin to see our situations differently, and get the lesson the universe is seeking to teach us…

Take Action – Our lives become happier when we find the courage to make them that way. You can’t lead your biggest life on your couch but must go into the world, face your fears and take small steps every day! Of course, depending on the challenge you are facing your small step today might just be to pray. There are times in our life when grief is overwhelming and it takes our whole being to persevere and I get that so you do what is yours to do. Others might need to make a call, do some research, and reach out to someone for help (even if it’s hard).

Our Happiest Lives

Becoming happier everyday takes courage. It means having the inner strength to give up our habits that keep us playing small and move with heart into our best life. Jack Kornfield, Buddhist teacher, summed up the path of courage perfectly when he said:

In the end, just three things matter:
How well we have lived
How well we have loved
How well we have learned to let go

By Maureen Healy

Maureen Healy is a popular speaker, author and teacher in the field of spirituality and happiness. Her last book, Growing Happy Kids, brought eastern wisdom to western parents wanting to nurture true happiness in kids. More info: www.growinghappykids.com or www.twitter.com/mdhealy