The Courage We Overlook

We often imagine courage as something dramatic.

A heroic act.
A defining moment.
Someone running towards danger while others run away.

But lately I've been wondering if courage is sometimes much quieter than that.

A person carrying worry, frustration or uncertainty and still taking the walk.

Still having the difficult conversation.

Still maintaining their standards.

Still showing up.

Recently, while reflecting on a difficult day, I found myself noticing something I might once have overlooked.

Not the circumstances.

Not the emotions.

But the response to them.

Nothing dramatic.

Nothing that anyone else would notice.

Yet perhaps more important than it first appeared.

We are often quick to recognise courage in others.

Yet we rarely see it in ourselves.

Perhaps because it has become ordinary.

Perhaps because we assume courage should look bigger than it does.

Some of the most important moments in our lives are almost invisible.

An old habit not followed.

A standard quietly maintained.

A person feeling the full weight of their circumstances and remaining at the wheel.

The kind of moments that rarely attract attention.

Yet over time may shape who we become.

I wonder how much courage we overlook in ourselves simply because it doesn't look the way we expect it to.