Wow! A boy mom of 4, full time care of an adult special needs child, and homeschooling too - that takes so much courage. We know that women are using courage behind closed doors and I'm so glad to share one of them with you.

Lisa is an amazing example of everyday courage in action. She's walked through the unexpected traumatic loss of her husband and showed up daily for her 7 children as a single mom. And she shares her struggle and pain with women facing these same losses now. But it doesn't stop there.

Using grit and showing up when you can't see progress and have drained the well of creativity. Filling the gap when conversations get divisive. Deciding that hope will eventually show her face and refresh our spirits. These are the things requiring courage right now.

Can I tell you...this lady right here! Bounds with courage, how do I know - just spend a few minutes with her and you'll walk away encouraged yourself. Always lifting others up, always hopeful, always giving God the glory. She's a rock star encourager.

What's requiring courage in your life right now Dorina? Being a runner takes perseverance. Applying that perseverance was necessary to keep it all together in 2020. Juggling three girls one in elementary, one in middle school, and one in high school was a real challenge through Covid.

What's requiring courage in your life right now, Jodi? Taking a step of courage and leaning into the crazy idea that she, a mom, teacher, and everyday ordinary woman could host her own podcast. Don't miss Jodi's story of everyday ordinary courage in this week's episode.

What's requiring courage in your life right now, JJ? Taking a step of courage into a new vocation and ministry can be scary. But worth it! Don't miss JJ's story of everyday ordinary courage in this week's episode. Who knows, you may just find yourself encouraged to take your own step too!

Well, COURAGE SQUAD, we made it! Go us! 2020 was a doozie of a year, but the hard work's not over. Every year we need to reach down deep and cultivate new courage for the next. So to kick us off, we've put together a little primer on how to face forward into the New Year with courage.

Hoooooooo, goodness! Reflecting on 2020 is a BIG TASK. It takes courage to reflect. What if we don't like what we see? What if we have regrets? What if we find more work to be done? What if things didn't turn out the way we hoped? Ack!

It's Christmas Eve and we're digging into Faith. Having faith in something requires a lot of courage. It calls on us for Surrender Giving up control Trusting in another Believing this is a safe thing to do, the right thing to do, the best thing to do Opening ourselves to vulnerability, risk Join us in the episode as we talk through the courage required to lean into faith.

The future is always uncertain, but here in the time of #coronalife, the uncertainty is THROUGH THE ROOF. How do we even make plans? What will the future hold? This season of life has been a great opportunity for growing the courage to hold the future loosely.

Big feelings require courage. Facing pain. Allowing ourselves to feel it, facing the fear that it might overwhelm us, facing thoughts and feelings that are scary. And grief is a VERY. BIG. FEELING. You might ask yourself: How can I do this? How can I face a world without so-and-so in it?

If overwhelm isn't something you've struggled with in the past, this may have been the year where you've developed some empathy for this scary monster. And that's exactly what it is. When we are overshadowed by tasks, emotions, or circumstances we experience overwhelm.

As we approach the holidays, we're also approaching more time with our families (unless Covid has something to say about this...yikes!). Why does family require courage? Because relationships require courage. And our family relationships can be our trickiest ones. Tune in for some encouragement navigating YOUR family.

This may be my favorite harvest from our "quarantine project" that became a full on podcast. In this episode we talk about our favorite books that have helped us cultivate courage. From embracing the potential to edit our own stories to accepting that intimacy and vulnerability have an impact on how courageous we are with others, it's all here.

There's a good chance 2020 has required some pivoting in your life! How do we handle it when a change a direction is required? How do we muster the courage to make difficult shifts? Sometimes a shift can feel like failure, we might feel the loss of the goal we were working towards, maybe we worry about disappointing others (or ourselves).

In honor of November being National Adoption Month, Lisa shares more of her story in having the courage to consider and pursue adoption. This topic touches on so many of our previous episodes! Take a deep dive into our archives...

We don't think it's any great mystery that it takes courage to cry. Most of us avoid crying in front of others, or maybe avoid crying altogether. It means confronting feelings, letting others see we have feelings...it can feel tremendously vulnerable. In this episode we talk about how to grow our courage in letting our tears flow.

It's not hard to understand why failing requires courage! But if we're going to accomplish anything at all in this life...whether a job, a relationship, a skill...we have to be willing to face the possibility that it might not exactly go as well as we hope or expect.

Even success requires courage! What if I'm not as good as I want to be? What if I actually get what I want, can I withstand the pressure, can I keep it up? What if I find that what I thought I wanted isn't as great as I hoped?

Hand up if you've ever dreaded having a difficult conversation. Yeah, me too. In this episode, we talk about all the reasons we might want to avoid having a difficult conversation...and all the reasons why we shouldn't. What happens if you don't have the conversation, and what do you make possible in your life and relationships if you do.

You know what takes courage? Taking a real honest look in the mirror. What if you see something you don't like? What if you learn something about yourself that you'd rather not know? What if you find something that you really have to work on but don't know where to start?

Making decisions can be overwhelming! We make SO MANY DECISIONS every day! Decision fatigue is a real thing, and in this episode, we talk about how to move through our life's decisions with courage and how to protect ourselves from getting worn out with decision fatigue.

In today's episode we talk about the everyday stuff in our lives right now requiring courage. And what we're doing to protect ourselves from discouragement and ways we're finding encouragement. Sometimes we're not even aware of all the ways we're using our courage EACH AND EVERY DAY, and all the opportunities we have daily to cultivate our courage, to work it like a muscle.

We are celebrating Melissa's book launch today! You can learn more about her book, Learning to Roar HERE. And take the Courage Persona Quiz HERE. Going after a dream definitely requires courage!

To love is to be vulnerable, and as you've heard us say so many times, vulnerability always requires courage! When you allow yourself to love, you open yourself up to the pain of rejection, of loss, of disappointment. You open yourself to care and worry. Things MATTER once love is involved.

Oh boy, can hope be scary or what?? Hope is that feeling or belief that the thing we want can be had or that events will turn out for the best. Hope is vital to our lives...but it can also be so vulnerable! Why does hope require courage?

Do you have feelings that you avoid? Feelings that you feel guilty about? Feelings that feel too overwhelming to even consider allowing yourself to feel? Staying with our feelings and allowing ourselves to feel ALL of them is so very courageous!

If you've been in this world for even a minute you know that loving our bodies is NOT the norm. Learning to love your body can be downright revolutionary, and courage is required to overcome the difficult feelings you might harbor towards it.

Courage and procrastination might not seem like a natural combination. Why would courage be needed to overcome procrastination? Don't we just need productivity hacks??? Procrastination is not about laziness, and overcoming it isn't about finding the willpower or motivation to power through.

Making friends can call for a lot of courage! In putting yourself out there, connecting with others, you're saying, "I like you...do you like me? This is me, do you accept or reject me?" It's so much vulnerability! In friendship, you're investing in another person. Will it be worth it?

We don't think it's too big a mystery why apologizing requires courage. We're admitting we were wrong, that we hurt someone. We're taking ownership and responsibility. We're opening ourselves up to the possibility that our apology won't be accepted, that the relationship won't be fixed, that there could be an AWKWARD CONVERSATION.

Hello you beautiful unicorn! You magnificent weirdo! You are so wonderfully unique, amazing in your very you-ness. There is nothing more courageous or interesting than being you. When we put our real, authentic, lovely selves out there, we are also opening ourselves up to other people's opinions, their thoughts and feelings about us can be validating or rejecting, and that's scary!

FIRST: It's Pina Colada Day! Here's a recipe we love, rum optional. And the summer heat is in FULL EFFECT here in Florida, so thank God for a refreshing beverage! Now, on to the often tough business of saying NO. Our YES can often be fear-based. Maybe we're afraid of disappointing others.

Some yeses don't require much courage. But a lot of times YES requires a big ol' chunk of courage. In this episode we talk about what can make some yeses so scary, and how to draw on courage to step up, to move into growth and new challenges.

First things first: have you tried grasshopper tacos? Former picky eater, Lisa, has used her courage to overcome her picky past many times and recently had grasshopper tacos at Taquiza in Miami. Crunchy, tastes like popcorn, overall not her fave taco filling. But hey, worth a try. [I guess].

Where are all our perfectionists at?? We want to hear from you! Go to www.thecostiscourage.com to drop us a message. You can also sign up for 14 Days of Courage to get a boost of encouragement. Perfectionism kills growth, steals joy and fulfillment. We can find ourselves trapped in analysis paralysis.

Are you good at waiting? Waiting can be so hard! We prefer action over inaction, being active versus being passive. We want to be making things happen, rather than feeling stuck in limbo. In this episode we talk about what makes waiting so difficult and what is needed to wait well.

The coronavirus is giving us all a HUGE lesson in coping with uncertainty. In this episode we talk about why uncertainty is so hard, why it makes us feel so very vulnerable. And in the face of uncertainty, how do we cultivate peace, how do we ground ourselves, how do we gain some semblance of control when so much is out of our control.

We felt it appropriate to have the courage to offer some thoughts around the current division resulting from George Floyd's tragic death.

Being a human is hard, and it's even harder if you're doing it alone. In this episode, we talk about how to build your Courage Squad. Do you need a champion? A coach? Both? Which do you need and when, and how do you find them?

This is a huge topic we will return to over and over, but in this episode we start the conversation on the courage required in relationships. We discuss the courage required and the steps to increasing depth in your relationships. Who deserves your trust? What are signs it's safe to move forward?

In this episode, we get to know Lisa a bit more, and hear a slice of her story. Ten Things Other People Like but Lisa Doesn't Wearing sneakers Jogging (and not because of sneakers) Saying "It is what it is" Mustard Pedicures Wedding receptions Fruit pies Being licked by a dog Caffeine Getting/having a tan (tough as a Floridian!)

The PBS Series that Melissa's been binge watching while staying-at-home. POLDARK In this episode we hear a bit more about what makes Melissa tick. In an event that seems like a lifetime ago, Melissa experienced a major setback. While none of us enjoys making a mistake, Melissa shares how making a "BIG MISTAKE" early in life crushed her confidence.

Welcome to The Cost is Courage - a conversational podcast about how hard it is to be human and the courage required. Author and Courage Champion, Melissa C. Dyer and Psychologist and Courage Coach, Dr. Lisa K. Baker talk about often overlooked everyday situations that call us to exercise courage to do life well.

In this episode Lisa and Melissa delve into "what is courage?" Hear about our courageous beginning over one word. We'll invite you to: Develop your own perspective of courage. Define fear's place in relationship to courage. Understand the role your beliefs play in your understanding of courage.