Courage Is Contagious

And it may be more important now than ever.

When you stand up, you feel like you stand alone.

And you might.

Many times in this life, I have stood up and stood alone but I also knew in those moments that my stance was not only the right thing to do but also the only thing to do.

For me.

For my ability to look myself in the mirror day after day for the rest of my life. To be proud of who I am and what I will do.

Or not do.

And every free fall that I took in those moral moments — every time that I pushed my myself over the edge, into the precipice, felt only air under my feet, felt the downward plunge, wondered if I would survive …

I survived.

And I got stronger.

Even when I lost. Even when I looked bloodied and beaten on the ground while some folks winced and turned away (I don’t blame them, some things are hard to watch).

But they didn’t know what I knew.

I knew I had won.

I knew that no matter what someone else had done or could do to me — no matter what vengeance they could wreak on me or my life — that they would not ever win.

Because I would not let them win.

Because I could be broken but I would always rise again.

Because I am unstoppable. (And so are you, if you choose to be.) Even now, even after all these years and all these broken moments.

This is what else I learned in those moments, in the times on the mat, my soul bruised and gasping on the ground — I learned a universal truth that resonates across all lands, all languages, all people.

And this truth belongs to you and to everyone you know:

Courage is contagious.

Always has been. Always will be.

Because someone is always watching.

Someone who is scared or hesitant. Someone who has not yet found their don’t-fuck-with-me voice. Someone who is waiting to be brave and beautiful.

And in that moment when you are standing up for what you believe in?

You are feeding their soul.