Courage, the highest gift, that scorns to bend
To mean devices for a sordid end.
Courage—an independent spark from heaven’s bright throne,
By which the soul stands raised, triumphant, high, alone.
Great in itself, not praises of the crowd,
Above all vice, it stoops not to be proud.
Courage, the mighty attribute of powers above,
By which those great in war are great in love.
The spring of all brave acts is seated here,
As falsehoods draw their sordid birth from fear.
– Farquhar, “Love and a Bottle”
Courage is rarely the grandiose gesture in the face of insurmountable odds. It more often the simple willingness to push oneself just a little bit beyond what was previously thought to be possible.
Courage, in this sense, is the stuff of incremental growth. It is that which propels a man from the known to the unknown, as he enlarges the borders of his tent.
Gregory Hake 
I deeply appreciate the poem by Farquhar and your words. The seed contained makes for the impetus to explore and discover new lands within our experience. Courage the mighty attribute of powers above always is sparking us on as we allow our heart to be in position to be so ignited. The kindling attitudes of gratefulness, humility and honor sets the receptive altar for it to be so.
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The source of courage, whether expressed in a small or large way, lies in the experience of Truth. Knowing the immutable nature of the principles and the eternal nature of Reality, there is poise, assurance and the natural ability to take whatever steps my be required. Fearfulness, on the other hand, speaks of an uncertain foundation, a conviction of the power of unreality. Courage is not an absence of fear, but rather the preponderance of faith in the real.
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I love the way Maya Angelou describes courage; “One isn’t necessarily born with courage, but one is born with potential. Without courage, we cannot practice any other virtue with consistency. We can’t be kind, true, merciful, generous, or honest.”
I think courage is developed as we love something larger then just ourselves. As we develop the understanding that what we do matters, the courage to do it develops synergistically.
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It’s difficult to be courageous for the bigger in things in life if we don’t meet the everyday opportunities to be courageous.
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