Let’s talk about values… Personal Courage

Personal courage. What does it mean to you? I recognize it from my Army training as one of the core values – to Face fear, danger or adversity (physical or moral). But in transition and after transition, does it still have the same meaning to you? It is clear why personal courage is a value in our military, but should it be a value to live by after the military?

The transition from military to civilian requires a lot of change. Some of the change is easy to navigate… some of the change is more challenging to navigate… and some of the change can seem like absolute roadblocks. It takes courage no matter how easy or how difficult things may seem. It takes courage to leap into an unknown territory. You had the courage to join the military and it takes the same and if not, more, personal courage to transition.

You leave behind all of the structure…. The camaraderie… the culture… the lifestyle… And now you are expected to leap… and leap quickly. But guess what? You have the personal courage to land on your two feet. You are equipped with the value that can propel you forward. You are used to taking things head-on, face your fears, face adversity – so why are you letting the transition stand in your way of success?

Sometimes it’s so easy to get caught up in the fear of the unknown. This new ‘mission’ can seem like an overwhelming and impossible feat… heck, you might even be questioning who failed to give you a WARNO about all of these challenges...but what’s really holding you back is your inability to suddenly recognize you’ve had it in you the whole time – it’s simply personal courage.

Don’t let yourself forget that values carry forward with you. Of course your values can always change, and your priorities will follow, but at your core, you are still equipped with the values you have gained during your time in service.

If you’re having a hard time in any aspect of your life – personal,

professional, money, health, etc. – do not forget the principles upon which you lived your life during your time in service. You were not set up for failure then, so do not allow yourself to be set up for failure now! You got this!