Courage to Embrace the Next Step!
You might have come across this story on your social media feed: A young bird stands at the edge of the nest. For days it has watched its mother soar through the skies, bringing food, returning with ease. But when the time comes for the chick to fly, fear holds it back. The ground looks so far away. The air feels uncertain. Yet, with one brave leap, the bird discovers the wings it never knew it had.
This story is simple, almost cliché, but it lingers because it mirrors our own lives. Life often places us on that same ledge at the edge of a decision, a change, or an unknown future. We look back at the comfort of what’s familiar, and we look ahead at what feels foggy, unpredictable, and even intimidating. In those moments, we don’t need the entire flight plan. What we need is courage: the courage to embrace the next step, the leap of faith that transforms hesitation into movement.
Reflecting in our own life, we can see that courage doesn’t always come wrapped in big, dramatic moments, in fact most of the time, it shows up quietly. Maybe, it looks like hitting “apply” on that job you secretly feel underqualified for. Or raising your hand in a meeting when your heart is racing. It could be choosing to forgive someone, even when staying silent feels easier. Or perhaps it’s saying a brave “yes” to love… or an equally brave “no” to something that no longer serves you. These little steps may never make the headlines, but they do something even greater. They slowly, steadily reshape the fabric of your journey.
As Thomas Carlyle once said, “Go as far as you can see; when you get there, you’ll be able to see further.” That is the heart of courage. You don’t need the entire staircase to begin, just the next step. And each step opens up the path for the one after it. Even in the simplest, most modern way: remember Finding Nemo? When Dory kept saying, “Just keep swimming.” It sounds playful, almost childlike, but it carries a powerful truth: keep moving, one stroke at a time, even when the ocean ahead looks endless. Our journeys work the same way. We don’t need the whole map or all the answers right now. What matters is the willingness to step forward and trusting that the road will keep revealing itself, one step at a time.
So this week, as we move through our days, we can ask ourself: what is the “edge of the nest” moment in my life right now? Where is fear holding me back? And what might unfold if I dare to take the next step forward, not with certainty, but with courage?
Because in that single step, however small, however uncertain; lies the beginning of something bigger like growth, discovery, and a future quietly waiting to unfold.
