"To confess is itself a mark of courage (based on the original definition of the word, meaning "heart and spirit") and maturity. Confessing also keeps you centered in your courage."

Sandra Walston, The Courage Expert






Courage Coach's Blog
By Sandra Walston, The Courage Expert ™

FOAMING AT THE MOUTH

Posted on June 6, 2008

 

Charms for the Easy Life is a made-for-television movie about three women (played by Gena Rowlands, Mimi Rogers and Susan May Pratt) who defy gender roles during World War II. Rowlands plays the role of a successful and astute holistic doctor without a medical license. If a patient died who was known for lying or deceitfulness, she would ask her granddaughter to look around the edges of the deceased person's mouth to see if they had "purged" ("to rid of impurities, cleanse, purify, to rid, clear or free"). She explained that if saliva foamed around their mouth, they had purged everything out before passing. In other words, they had cleansed and purified themselves of false statements, lies and self-deceptions.

 

At the end of the movie, the granddaughter (Pratt) finds that her grandmother has passed on during the night. Curious about the old woman's practices, the granddaughter immediately checks her grandmother's mouth to see if she had purged. She finds no trace of formed saliva, indicating that the elderly woman had lived true to her word – she had no need for the last-minute purging like people who had lived deceitful lives.

 

So what truths flow out of your heart? Do they include any lingering regrets or elements of deceit?

 

Deceit rears its ugly head at work when you pretend you agree with your boss when you don't. Perhaps you feel that your opinions are devalued or sense that your principles lead you in a different direction than hers. Even this minimal level of deceit represents a choice not to act courageously by speaking your convictions, damaging your own honesty. Instead of saying, "I really don't want to do this," or "I don't agree with this procedure," you will probably start thinking about how you do not want to burn bridges. But any degree of self-deceit will require purging at some point, and purging commonly takes place after you leave your job and realize that you "should" have left sooner than later. It takes courage consciousness to be real at work.

 

In October 2007, I used the segment above as part of my monthly courage online newsletter. I received an e-mail the following month from Wendy who wrote, "I wanted to write to you telling you how much I appreciated receiving your newsletter last month. It made such an impact on me. I reread it numerous times and, in fact, it finally gave me the courage to speak my mind. I had been having a sore throat and almost laryngitis (imagine that) for quite a while. When I finally told my husband that I was tired of his using me and draining me financially and emotionally – and of living a lie – my throat 'miraculously' cleared up. Now my voice is strong both physically as well as emotionally. After allowing him to take advantage of me and my daughter for the last eight years, I am finally leaving. Not that it is something to be cheered on or celebrated. But I am thankful that I am finally purging myself of 'false statements, lies and self-deceptions.'"

 

I feel blessed that people write and tell me how my work experientially moved them to claim their courage. Wendy's blinders to her courage were removed because she "allowed" courage to come into her life, and she had a revelation. A few months later I received another e-mail from Wendy sharing how she is pursuing a new career path that fits her skills and heart's desire.

Sandra Ford Walston is a speaker, author, trainer and courage coach. walstoncourage.com

Share some of your stepping-up moments at work. E-mail blog@pinkmagazine.com and enter "courage" in the subject line.

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DENYING YOUR COURAGE
Posted on May 1, 2008

 

Denial is saying no to courage. There's a polarity about who you are (your "scripts") versus your true essence. Stepping up the ladder of your life is the ascension to a higher place that reveals this core. Shifting a pronoun in an ancient Chinese proverb from "he" to "she" would read, "She who hesitates before each step spends her life on one leg." Denial is one of the culprits that keeps you stuck in complacency instead of stepping up (inner scripts are another). Do you wish to have your potential stunted? How do you diminish this polarity?

 

Without courage, we become a danger to ourselves. It's not about the big things in life, like stopping world hunger, but the smaller things, such as saying "no" to your abusive boss or stopping the behavioral practice researched by author Phyllis Chesler called "woman's inhumanity to woman." When you embrace courage for yourself, you do it for all women!

 

Are you willing to be intrigued about yourself? Are you willing to create a higher evaluation of who you are by making "higher" choices for your life? Wayne Teasdale wrote in The Mystic Heart, "Mature self-knowledge happens when we move beyond denial – denial of our faults and limitations, our buried motives or hidden agendas – and beyond judgment of others, beyond projection on others our own need for inner work. The more we see ourselves as we really are, rather than as our ideal self-image dictates, the more we are on the road to the fullness of the spiritual life and the ultimate actualization and realization of our potential." For example, courageous women intentionally seek feedback. They want to hear how they are perceived by others. Just like all workplace competencies, a profile in courage can be learned. To integrate a new level of self-esteem you may need to face a paralyzing fear masked as self-doubt, or open a closet to confront patterns of denial.

 

The outcome is about you being integrated into a whole being. When you do that, your life will change. Women with moderate self-esteem will find themselves uncomfortable when you demonstrate feminine courage. Why? You speak the truth, take action to gain your essence and step up.

 

Communicating with courage means that you know what the mere Truth is for you, and you honor your voice by declaring your courageous intent. Tolerance and openness take commitment and practice; otherwise, we die not knowing our truth (much less the other person's spirit). In Growing the Soul, Gwen Randall-Young writes, "Denial is an ego defense mechanism, a kind of psychological camouflage that prevents one from seeing the truth. With denial, the subconscious effectively blocks awareness, so the individual truly does not see the truth. Simply having the courage to acknowledge what you know in your heart is true, and bringing it out into the open with the intention of consciously creating a higher level of integrity in the situation is enough to begin the process of positive change."

 

That is why denial is saying no to courage. Don't wait until it's too late. Do it now! You know what resonates with you. In business, are you the employee to unfold the plan? Are you the conduit to the company's success?

 

Collective courage in the workplace empowers everyone; productivity increases, retention improves and there's an increase in earnings per share. Many times a new model is revealed because you were allowed to question the existing model. When this synergy happens you move from force to power, passive to active, internal to external, and you are no longer manipulated but rather motivated by intrigue.

 

Sandra Ford Walston is a speaker, author, trainer and courage coach. walstoncourage.com

Share some of your stepping-up moments at work. E-mail blog@pinkmagazine.com and enter "courage" in the subject line.

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THE COURAGE TO CONFESS

Posted on April 8, 2008

 

If you have been reading my courage blogs, you've read about a variety of topics around courage, such as having a lost voice or living in uncertainty. Now I ask you: Do you willingly confess your shortcomings, mishaps or missteps? By confessing, I don't mean your "sins."

 

For example, if I lack knowledge about a topic (and there are many), or if I have not read some required documents, I respond with, "I confess I am not qualified to respond on that topic," or, "I confess I have not yet read the papers." One woman said to me, "There are many times I find myself responding to a discussion topic as if I know something about it, when in fact I don't. I feel if I reveal my lack of knowledge I will be perceived as unintelligent. Other times, I find myself innocently covering up or glossing over an incident instead of confessing. What's the best plan of action to apply courage?"

 

To confess is itself a mark of courage (based on the original definition of the word, meaning "heart and spirit") and maturity. Confessing also keeps you centered in your courage.

 

A popular radio personality named "Sly" confessed to his community that he was addicted to painkillers and alcohol. He was not in trouble with the law, so he could have kept his predicament a secret. He did it because he hopes his openness will help others confront addictions. Putting the truth on the table inoculates you before someone might expose the situation. But it's not about telling before someone else tells on you. It's about divesting of constraints that hold the spirit down. I find that a rare form of courage. This popular radio host drew from his reservoir of courage and chose an action that validated his internal essence.

 

Confessing is good for the spirit when it's done in a timely manner and with the right intent. The process helps you face the truth; you take responsibility for what's happening with your spirit and you clean up those missteps that collect unhealthy chi. So what do you need to confess?

 

  • Do you need to confess to your children that you have not shared the whole truth about a family matter?

  • Do you need to confess that you responded at work to a political shakeup prematurely?

  • Will you confess during a risky topic of conversation that you hold judgments about the topic?

 

Yes, you invite potential disputes when you stand in your courage and confess, but the gift you receive is that you hold yourself 100 percent accountable for your integrity. For example, "I confess that I have not thoroughly read the document." It's simple!

 

A woman decided to seek a divorce after 26 years of marriage. She said, "I confess that for all those years I was a fraud. I've never been truly happy in my marriage. I was not authentic about my feelings." Now that's courage – even though this demonstration of everyday courage won't make a headline in the media. Our culture has a tendency to highlight sensational, amazing, miraculous or scandalous acts of courage – such as confessing you were a draft-dodger or covering up that you harm your spouse. The assessment is that if your story is not a headline, it can't be valuable. That's what keeps your personal, less sensationalized courage merely a footnote – and that dilemma is rabid in our culture.

 

With 11 years of original research on courage and courage leadership, I am referred to as "The Courage Expert." I confess I've never done anything sensational, amazing or scandalous (that I'm aware of!). Confessing shows courage. Why don't you try it? Let me know how it resonates with you.

 

Sandra Ford Walston is a speaker, author, trainer and courage coach. walstoncourage.com

Share some of your stepping-up moments at work. E-mail blog@pinkmagazine.com and enter "courage" in the subject line.

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TIMES OF UNCERTAINTY

Posted on February 19, 2008

 

Women seem so surprised when I tell them that of the 750 women I surveyed, only 11 percent perceive themselves as "courageous." You see, we are more inclined to see it in other women than to define it in ourselves. One woman said, "I don't feel my parents, much less society, taught me or prepared me to understand how to embrace the virtue of courage. Yet during times of uncertainty. I feel I need it more than ever."

 

The first five years (out of 11) I researched the actions of courage, I extracted several common themes that yielded the 12 behaviors of courage found on the "Source Wheel" diagram (walstoncourage.com/pages/books/sourcewheel.shtml). One theme was the notion of sacrificing or choosing to take an immediate hit to achieve a long-range goal. Courageous people choose to forgo immediate satisfaction by taking risks and hurdling obstacles (one of the 12 behaviors on the Source Wheel diagram). They identify, claim and apply the original definition of courage, meaning "heart and spirit." In other words, when a situation requires them to "step up" and display their authenticity, they do!

 

Have you seen the film The Legend of Bagger Vance about a post-WWI golfer and a mysterious caddie? The dispirited Savannah, Ga., folks decide a tournament will boost their war-torn morale. But they fancied a Southern pro to represent them. A traumatized golfer (Matt Damon) with flashbacks reluctantly commits to their request. In the middle of the night, he uncovers his abandoned and dusty clubs and goes out in his backyard to hit golf balls. While he chops away at the ball, a mysterious man with suitcase in hand walks out from the countryside. With clever indifference, the stranger (Will Smith) discreetly starts to coach the frustrated hacker.

 

Bagger Vance is the inexplicably wise caddie that teaches the troubled golfer how to reach deep inside and find his "authentic swing." He says, "This is the authentic swing you were born with – the one you came into this world with. The authentic swing is all that you are! You're just caught up with life's ought'as and should'as." The underlying message is not a new one, and you don't have to love golf to get the message. It's about having the courage to examine the Self rather than remain self-righteous.

 

Uncertainty is an inevitable condition throughout life. Second-guessing ourselves or living in the past or future keeps us out of the present. This is where courage comes in to play. The essence of courage is a spiritual energy from the heart that, in defining moments, motivates a person to take action. In my first book, Courage, I write, "Courage is much more complex than spontaneous reactions to traumatic events." Using courage as an ally means bundling a combination of courageous actions, such as continually learning, persisting to be mindful of defining moments, and holding oneself 100 percent accountable for choices. Oftentimes, if defining moments are missed, they become chances gone by, never to be reclaimed, such as not accepting a tough project, moving to another state or marrying outside one's religion.

 

Without the development of courage, the other virtues will struggle to find their place. Aristotle believed that courage is the first of human virtues because it makes all the other virtues possible. Don't wait till it's too late! My favorite Pulitzer Prize–winning poet, Mary Oliver, wrote this last stanza in her glorious poem "When Death Comes":

 

When it's over, I don't want to wonder

if I have made of my life something particular, and real.

I don't want to find myself sighing and frightened,

or full of argument.

I don't want to end up simply having visited this world.

 

Moral of the story: Design your life with courage so you live in the core (courage) of your essence. Don't simply visit this world.

 

Sandra Ford Walston is a speaker, author, trainer and courage coach. walstoncourage.com

Share some of your stepping-up moments at work. E-mail blog@pinkmagazine.com and enter "courage" in the subject line.

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"PERMISSION TO BE ME"
Posted on February 4, 2008

I recently got an e-mail from a woman that read: "I just landed a great job! For the first time, I negotiated my salary to my satisfaction. I didn't give my talents away for fear of not being hired. At 48 years old, I feel proud that I gave myself permission to be me. Why did it take me so long to become aware of my self-esteem? Why did I feel the need to silence my voice?"

 

Guess what? She's not the only woman slow to awaken her self-esteem. I always ask clients: Have you given yourself permission to be as large, as powerful and as passionate as you really are? I'm not talking about your girth; I'm talking about your mirth. I'm talking about your passion and depth of feeling. Or are you stuck in conditioned responses such as, "Uncertainty scares me," or, "I'm too old to learn something new"? Are these the labels you've fastened on your life's journey? If so, this is the opposite of courage.

 

Many of my readers, corporate clients and coaching clients tell me that I have given them "permission to be themselves." I have guided them to see that their courageous self, the one who feels deeply and hides it for fear of being judged or compared, is really OK. From that "real self" perspective, new insights about their inner passions and hidden wishes come forth. This newfound courage and sense of freedom merges body, mind and spirit.

 

In many cases, the power of the person is different from the power of the visual persona we show the world. I don't know where or when we were told that being who we are is in some way inappropriate or inadequate, but people don't want an artifice. They want truth and honesty. Have you noticed in the media when someone is blatantly honest, people are shocked, whereas corruption, cheating or lying is accepted as an everyday happenstance?

 

Here are a few questions for you: Is there any difference between the ways you joke around and play in your kitchen with close friends and the way you are with your colleagues? Do you lose your sense of spontaneity and voice when you "step up" to reveal an opinion in a staff meeting? I certainly have, and if you do, I would request that you begin the process of bringing your true self and your courage (meaning "heart and spirit") closer together.

 

Give yourself permission to be yourself. Give yourself permission to say what you have been unwilling to say. Ask yourself:

  • "What courageous conversation am I not having?"
  • "What am I doing that I absolutely dislike?"

 

Maybe it's time to be honest. No one ever went to her grave joyfully embracing all of her accumulative regrets! Be brave! Give yourself permission to take the next step.

 

Moral of the story: "She who hesitates before each step spends her life on one leg."

 

Sandra Ford Walston is a speaker, author, trainer and courage coach. walstoncourage.com

Share some of your stepping-up moments at work. E-mail blog@pinkmagazine.com and enter "courage" in the subject line.

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WHO'S IN CONTROL OF YOUR LIFE?
Posted on January 18, 2008

A female coaching client recently shared that she feels her life seems to belong to someone else. She said, "Many times, I feel that I'm 'doing' everything I don't really want to do. I always wonder: Where did the time go? Who's in control of my life?"

 

Welcome to the culture you (we) created! There's only one enemy hovering silently in your life. What's that, you ask? Time! Watch people. They are totally overwhelmed trying to control their work and personal schedules. You can see them, trapped in the domination of Enemy No. 1, sulking and huffing: "I'm sooooo busy! I have too much to do, and no time to do it (especially this time of the year)!"

 

Do you feel like your nose is always to the grindstone? What consumes your time? In an O Magazine issue, Oprah wrote: "How you spend your time defines who you are. I try not to waste time – because I don't want to waste myself." Of that same notion, I recently heard a 70-year-old woman say, "I don't read books unless they heal my body, mind and spirit. Each day is too precious. I am conscious about whom I share time with and whether I will go to a movie or paint. Solitude is a key part of my day – that's when I stop to meditate – I invite God into my life." While this woman was conscious that being present to her actions and choices allowed her to acknowledge her spirit (as if it were her last day), we don't have to wait for retirement to experience this.

 

Slowing down could be the most effective action to initiate your courage: It allows you to come from your "heart and spirit," the origin of the word courage. What would happen if you stopped for 10 minutes, right now? Spiritual teacher Jon Kabat-Zinn, Ph.D., suggests that we stop for a moment all the doing and shift into the "being mode." How? Don't make one more phone call. Don't sit and catch up on the business journals piling up on the floor by your reading chair. Don't boot up to check if any new e-mails came in. This stress management guru reminds us that when we stop we can be more present. Transformation in courage has to do with moving what you know to be true to a deeper level. Then your life becomes more vivid and simpler.

 

Being comes from a peaceful place within, usually discovered when you undertake a contemplative journey. This is not so much an exercise of attention as intention – what I call the "Declaration of Courageous Intention," or having the courage to declare that stopping in your life is important to staying present. Embracing "being," you start to diminish setbacks and begin to insert ideas about how you are undermining your time each day. This requires a commitment to inviting peace into your life.

 

Eckhart Tolle, the author of Stillness Speaks, says we have created in our society a role at work called "nervous mind energy." You've seen the way people gather (late) for the "critical" staff meeting: Everyone is hyper with jerky eye movements as if this is a key intrusion in their lives because they're so busy. The next time you attend a meeting, suggest everyone stop for three minutes and compose their energy. You will notice a shift in the mood as the people become focused and centered; a different appreciation for listening will manifest, and authenticity will start to lead the meeting.

 

No one sums up this thought better than the author of Peace Is Every Step, Vietnamese Buddhist monk Thich Nhat Hanh: "When I allow my thoughts to be inspired before I speak, I give myself the opportunity to use words that uplift, encourage and heal. I take a moment to become still within and think on divinely inspired thoughts before I speak and act. In so doing, I will not cause to regret my words and actions." It takes courage to shift your perception about the use of time.

 

Moral of the story: My Aunt Marilyn wrote: "Peace comes in minutes at a time, then hours and, finally, most of the time. After you become accustomed to it you will learn to call it back when you are not at peace."

 

Sandra Ford Walston is a speaker, author, trainer and courage coach. walstoncourage.com

Share some of your stepping-up moments at work. E-mail blog@pinkmagazine.com and enter "courage" in the subject line.

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LOST VOICE
Posted on November 29, 2007

 

Conversing openly with other people can take enormous courage. Think about the number of times you've withheld how you feel from a loved one because your long-held beliefs were in conflict. Or recall how you chose not to speak up during a staff meeting, fearing that you'd be ostracized or even fired. Our relationships are defined by the conversations we have (or do not have) with the people in our lives.

 

Courage comes from the medieval Old French word corage, meaning "heart and spirit." When you speak from your heart and spirit, you are being true to yourself. Simply using the word "courage" to describe an action and outcome activates your voice and sets a context for positive action.

 

One of my corporate clients recently said to me, "I am so used to 'filtering' myself, I almost forget I'm doing it. My test of courage has been being able to share openly my deepest dreams and fears and true thoughts. With one exception in my life, I have always kept a certain core totally to myself. Yet, when I was able to let go and candidly share this core, I felt enormously liberated." This 61-year-old woman yearns to speak from her heart. Once she attained this level of self-realization (and eventually self-fulfillment), she began to sense her authenticity.

 

You can determine the quality of your relationships by analyzing your conversations. For example, do you stay resentful toward your boss or business partner, telling others of her faults behind her back, or do you take a courageous stand and speak to her directly?

 

Here's how to converse with courage:

  • Become a detached "observer" of yourself. When you catch yourself hesitating to share something you want to say, start with this phrase: "I want you to know that it takes courage to share …." This sets the stage for a different kind of listening and helps you be authentic.

  • Take notice of instances when you regret not speaking up.

  • Watch for this phrase: "I wanted to say …." Often a woman will swallow her words of wisdom for fear of losing her job/image/esteem/friend (whatever!). But what you meant to say or "should have" said doesn't count if you didn't.

It takes a conscious choice and effective action to delve into your heart and spirit to claim who you really are. Conversing with courage means you are unwilling to let anyone else design your life. Then you are not filled with regret.

 

My favorite Pulitzer Prize–winning poet, Mary Oliver, wrote this last stanza in her glorious poem "When Death Comes":

 

When it's over, I don't want to wonder

If I have made of my life something particular, and real.

I don't want to find myself sighing and frightened,

Or full of argument.

 

I don't want to end up simply having visited this world.

 

Moral of the story: Design your life with the courage to converse. Listen to your heart, and choose to transform yourself through language. Don't simply visit this world.

 

Sandra Ford Walston is a speaker, author, trainer and courage coach. walstoncourage.com

Share some of your stepping-up moments at work. E-mail blog@pinkmagazine.com and enter "courage" in the subject line.

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FEMININE COURAGE – WHO'S GOT IT?
Posted on October 11, 2007

What's your definition of courage, and why is it vital to claim it for yourself? Are you curious about why only 11 percent of more than 750 women I researched for three years perceived themselves as "courageous"? Interviews with the courageous 11 percent made it clear that these women manifest their courage in specific ways. I call these the 12 feminine behaviors of courage:

1.         Affirming strength and determination

2.         Confronting abuse

3.         Conquering fear

4.         Embracing faith

5.         Hurdling obstacles and taking risks

6.         Living convictions

7.         Manifesting vision

8.         Overcoming illness or loss

9.         Reflecting self-esteem

10.       Reinventing self

11.       Revealing vulnerability

12.       Speaking up

Are you among this 11 percent? What allows only a small percentage of women to actively claim their courage? Perhaps you believe courage is only synonymous with being a hero. Most people believe firefighters and police officers are heroes. They were called heroes after 9/11. However, ask these professionals if they think of themselves as heroes and they will say, "No." Mary says, "I am trained to do my job. If you call 911, it's a day from hell for you, not me." Most people are not "heroes," but we seem to associate only heroes with having courage. Certainly the hijacked group of 9/11 passengers who curtailed the loss of additional lives demonstrated heroic passenger boldness.

Everyday courage is not that amazing. We just pay tribute to these types of courageous actions more than we practice them. How might your life change if you discovered that some of your everyday behaviors at work demonstrate profound courage?

Do you cherish your work? If you could choose to do a job that you would love to do, what would your heart's wish be? I have yet to meet a single person who does not wish to be happy at work, but a recent Gallup poll found that job satisfaction has steadily declined from nearly 60 percent in 1995 to just 50 percent in 2004.

Are you disengaged at work? Developing courage and the skills that manifest courage at work will help anyone struggling with a lack of self-fulfillment.

Dorie knows about getting off-target. In high school and college, she excelled in math and science. She entered college as an engineering major on the advice of guidance counselors and family members. She excelled scholastically and earned a doctorate in bioengineering. Despite never feeling any passion for her work, she was reluctant to change career paths, and in this state of unhappiness, she developed a severe eating disorder. She says, "My passion finally emerged while I was being treated for my eating disorder. It became clear that my mission was to help others overcome their eating disorders." She turned down a six-figure salary and returned to college to earn her counseling degree. It took years for her to find the courage to act from her heart – the place where self-acceptance lives – and express her true identity, thus revealing her authenticity. Put another way, her courage was alive and well in her original Self. The word "authentic" is derived from Greek authentikos, which means "original." Sadly, there's no magical formula for originality.

Successful women recognize their innate courage and claim it as their own. Washington Post CEO Katherine Graham overcame intense reticence to publishing the Pentagon Papers in 1971, exposing government lies about the war in Vietnam. She refused to bow to intense political and financial pressures and played a crucial role in the democratic process that ended Nixon's reign of corruption and deceit. The merit of Graham's resolute spiritual courage was reflected in her refusal to play it safe, dodge discomfort or hedge her bets.

What is this energy that so few women consciously recognize? Webster's defines courage as mental or moral strength, and a closer examination reveals that courage comes from the Old French word corage, meaning "heart" and "spirit." So it has little to do with society's label of physical, male-oriented bravado, much less fear. It's something that originates within, at the core of our being.

After seven years of teaching, Deb's health started to show signs of stress. She had stayed at her job way too long, waiting for the right moment to step up. Her husband sold real estate, so he felt she needed to stay in her steady-paying job so he could weather the economic cycles. Deb's heart wanted to join a woman who ran a successful business for learning disabilities. One day she said to me, "Well, Sandra, I have to have surgery. I'm going to leave my job at the end of the school term in June even if I have to go to work for Whole Foods. I just can't do this anymore." Deb had forgotten one critical point that confirms whether you have courage or not: "She who hesitates before each step spends her life on one leg." Stepping up reveals our steppingstones – the defining moments in our life, the times we displayed our courage. It took Deb seven years to give herself permission to step up and claim her courage. Finally filled with regret, her body became her signpost.

Awareness of the untapped reservoir of courage comes with the opportunity to direct the energy of your own personal courage to produce dramatic, positive change. You can discover and chart this vital insight using this statement: There is a direct correlation between your "success quotient" and your "courage quotient."

Are you willing to claim your courage? In each installment of this blog, I'll share stories of more courageous women and discuss practical tactics for building your courage – both at work and in life, which for most women are not autonomous worlds.

Share some of your stepping-up moments at work. E-mail blog@pinkmagazine.com and enter "courage" in the subject line.

Sandra Ford Walston is a speaker, author, trainer and courage coach. walstoncourage.com



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