4 Considerations for Raising a Courageous Girl

In Disney’s  live-action movie Cinderella, her mother’s parting message to her was  to “Always have courage and be kind.” Little girls everywhere repeated the words, they were stitched on t-shirts sold for $24.95 and quickly became a buzz phrase easily remembered.  It makes a great line for a popular movie, but we know courage isn’t something you are born with. We all want to raise courageous (and kind) daughters.  How do we practically develop it in their lives?

Here are 4 consideration for raising a courageous girl especially when she is feeling quite the opposite:

• You aren’t born courageous: We don’t instantly feel courageous, especially at a young age. True courage is developed over time as we go through life. We can make little choices with each step to grow our courageous spirit. Think of courage more like a muscle to be trained that gets stronger the more you use it.
• Failure is part of the journey. We don’t like to think about our own failure. We especially don’t like the idea of watching our daughters experience failure. But, truthfully, failure often infuses a heart with courage. Do you remember a time when you failed and in the end, you grew stronger? Think back to muscle analogy for a minute. A muscle grows only at the point of failure. Courage is similar. “No pain, no gain” works at the gym and after a tough day at school as well.
• Do hard things even when you are scared: Fear is often rooted in our desire to avoid failure. Since we have already established failure is part of a courageous journey, we are going to have to deal with our fear in a constructive way.  Instead of letting fear keep you from doing hard things, think of it as a useful indicator that your capacity for courage is growing. 
• Surround yourself with courageous friends: Community can cultivate courage. Our girls need friends that cheer them on when she is doing hard things. And vice versa, our girls will be inspired to return the favor for her courageous friends. An environment that says, “Take the next brave step, and if you fail I’m still your friend” is one we all need in our daily lives.

In the end, Cinderella’s courage grew because she listened to her mother, she wasn’t afraid to fail while she did hard things, and she surrounded herself with courageous friends who helped her be brave when it mattered most. Now, there is a fairy tale ending we can all believe in.

Do you wish you had a community packed with other courageous moms who are raising confident and courageous girls? We have that covered. Join our Facebook group for resources, encouragement and weekly live training. Join us here.