As Andrew Lloyd Webber begins his search for Dorothy in his new production of The Wizard of Oz, I’m featuring a series of blogs which explore the key challenges faced by the principle characters in this story.

I begin with the Lion’s search for COURAGE and why this could desert us in times of trouble. 

Let’s take Louisa Lyons – the contemporary character who appears in my book.  She’s being bulled by her boss, but feels powerless to do anything about this.  Despite being a fearless sportswoman in her spare time – she’s a completely sissy at work and lets her boss walk all over her.

But what is courage and where do you find it when you need it, when you’re under fire…?

For instance what do you need to carry on when you’ve been made redundant, after a relationship  breakdown or death, trying something you’ve never tried before, launching a new concept or idea, dealing with difficult or aggressive people, overcoming and handling debt?

I’ve come up with 9 ideas…if you have another to add, I’d like to hear from you

Courage is…

1. Quiet dignity.  Its remaining calm and poised, when all around you are running around like headless chickens
2. Acting decisively.  Sometimes the only way to solve a persistent problem is to refuse to tolerate any situation that compromises your values.  But this will require the courage to stand up for what you believe in, which may require you to stick your head above the parapet to court controversy.  But isn’t it more exciting to be known for being a bit daring…rather than a sheep?
3. Taking responsibility for your own actions, and resisting the temptation to take the easy way out.  Pointing the finger or blaming external circumstances for your own  misfortune only wastes time doesn’t it – time you could be spending on solving the problem.
4. Accepting and adapting to change.  Sometimes it can be hard to accept that if something isn’t working you may need to consider changing directions, letting go and starting again
5. Standing up for yourself.  Why run with the pack or allow others to make decisions on your behalf?  I’ve learnt that to my cost.  If you accept that your job is to work at becoming better at being YOU, nobody can do that job better than you can. 
6. Acceptance.  To achieve our objectives may mean leaving behind people who don’t validate, support or encourage you.  If others don’t believe in you or are working on their own agenda to compensate for their own shortcomings, does that really serve you?
7. Moving out of your comfort zone and trying something new, sometimes without really knowing or having the comfort or certainty in the outcome. 
8. Pressing on despite fear, pain, disappointment and loss.  Because in the end, quitting isn’t always the best solution.  As they say, pain is temporary – quitting lasts forever…
9. Listening to your inner voice (no matter how quiet that may be), paying attention to it, trusting it and having the guts to go with your gut
10. Fill in the blank…what do you think courage is…?

I welcome your comments and observations