Having Courage

The My Character Resources have been

developed by the Jubilee Centre for Character
and Virtues at the University of Birmingham,
alongside young people across the UK. This
is one of a set of 10 eResources, each aiming
to encourage young people to be more future
minded and to think about who they are and
who they want to become.

My Character: The other eResources in this series are

My Life, Your Life, Our Future Having a Dream
Saving for the Future
Having Patience
Name: Helping Others
Being Determined
Working Together
My School: Thinking Creatively
My Character – Review
My Teacher: Please go to www.mycharacter.co.uk to
download them.
My Class:
Having Courage
Current location: The ability to keep going whatever happens.

It is easy to stay in your comfort zone, close to your friends, in a

place you know, doing the things you always do. It’s easier than
being brave and trying something different. But unless you are
willing to try new things and step outside of your comfort zone,
how will you ever find out what else is out there and what other
surprises life has in store for you?

Doing something new often means we feel vulnerable and

uncomfortable, and because we’ve never done it before we will
probably make mistakes and could look silly in front of others.
If we can be brave and still do these things anyway, we have
expanded our lives and experiences, met new people and
possibly learnt new skills. Being courageous could change your
life for the better!

Sometimes being courageous means standing up for something

you believe is right even when everyone around you thinks it’s
Keywords wrong. If someone you know is bullying someone or being sexist
or racist, and everybody around you is laughing along with them,
To believe High Self esteem would you speak up? Even if everyone tells you it’s just a joke,
Confident Taking on challenges and to stop being so sensitive? It takes a lot of courage to go
Strong Trying anything once against the people around you.
Stand up for yourself Not afraid to back down
Stand up for others I can Go on...be brave....try it.
Not being scared
No fear
‘The greatest barrier to success is the fear of failure.’
My Inspirations – Sven Goran Eriksson

‘Success is going from failure to failure without loss of enthusiasm’

– Winston Churchill

‘The harder you fall, the higher you bounce’ – Anon

‘Courage is being scared to death...and saddling up anyway.’ –

John Wayne
My favourite quote is:
‘Success is never final and failure never fatal. It’s courage that
counts’ – George Tilton

‘To be successful we must do things that unsuccessful people do

Because: not want to do. Those things require levels of courage.’ – R Harpe

‘Genius is talent set on fire by courage.’ – Henry van Dyke

‘I’d rather give my life than be afraid to give it.’

Lyndon Baines Johnson

‘Every time you have the courage to face your fears, you become
a stronger person.’ – Barbara White

‘Courage enables one to fly beyond limitations. It enables you to

attain greatness. To fulfil your true destiny.’
– B. Bhen

‘Everyone has talent. What is rare is the courage to follow the

talent to the dark place where it leads.’ – Erica Jong
Inspirational People
Anne Frank (June 1929 – March 1945)
Diarist

Anne Frank was forced into hiding with her family during the Nazi
occupation of the Netherlands, where they spent 4 years hiding in
her father’s office building. She kept a detailed diary of these years,
published after her death and now one of the world’s most read books.
Born in Frankfurt, Germany, Anne’s family moved to Amsterdam soon
after Adolf Hitler’s Nazi party was elected, worried about the increase of
anti-Semitism.

In 1940, the Germans invaded the Netherlands and all Jews were forced
to wear yellow stars to denote their Jewishness. They weren’t allowed
to use public transport and Anne’s father was forced to transfer his
business to his Dutch colleagues as they were not allowed to own
businesses.

In July 1942, prompted by a notification that Margot would be sent to a

work camp, the Frank family went into hiding in the office buildings of a hard labour camp where they were stripped, disinfected, and tattooed
Otto Frank’s company. Anne was 13 years old. with an identifying number. Anne, her mother and sister all died in the
concentration camps, with only Otto Frank surviving. Anne’s diary had
The building was damp and dreary, and Anne and her family, the Van been left behind at the Annex and was discovered and held by Miep
Pels family and a friend called Fritz Pfeffer, were confined in such a Gies, one of those who had brought food to and protected the group in
small space for such long periods of time that tension and conflict was hiding. She passed it on to Anne’s father.
inevitable. But Anne made the best of it, looking at it as a safe place
to be until they could leave and be free, and was grateful for the risks All through the years the little community were in hiding, Anne faced
their helpers took to bring them food and keep them hidden. many everyday practical challenges as well as the pain of knowing
the life she was missing, but refused to give in to depression. She also
To fill the hours when she had to be completely silent, to save her from had the courage to keep believing in the human race, that “in spite of
boredom and to express the personality she had to keep hidden and everything ... people are truly good at heart”
restricted during her periods in hiding, Anne wrote faithfully in her diary.
After three long years spent in the Annex, they were betrayed and I must uphold my ideals, for perhaps the time will come when I shall be
taken away to a concentration camp. Anne and her sister were sent to able to carry them out. – Anne Frank
Inspirational People
Christopher Reeve (1952 – 2004)
Actor

Christopher Reeve is best known for his role in the Superman movies,
playing the title role in four Superman films as well as the American
spin off series Smallville, but throughout his life he was also an
accomplished theatre actor, producer and director. In 1995 he had a
horse riding accident and became paralysed from the neck down.
Born in New York City, Christopher Reeve was an outstanding student
both in academics and athletics. At the age of 9 he took part in an
amateur production of The Yeoman of the Guard, and his desire to act
was born.

He continued to act throughout his time at college and made a name

for himself in theatre. His first Hollywood role was as a submarine officer
in the film Grey Lady Down, and soon auditioned successfully for the by revealing that he had gained movement in his fingers and toes
role of Clarke Kent in Superman. and the ability to feel sensations on his skin. He continued with hours
of exhausting and painful daily exercise and numerous rehabilitative
All through his acting career, Christopher Reeve had used his athletic therapies. Alongside this, he set up The Christopher Reeve Paralysis
ability to do his own stunts. After learning to horse ride for his part in Foundation to raise money for research into cures for his condition.
Anna Karenina, he took up horse riding as a sport and began Eventing
in 1989. In 2004 he developed a serious infection and sadly, on October 10th he
had a cardiac arrest and died.
In 1995, he was riding when his horse refused a jump. He landed head
first on the other side of the fence and sustained a spinal injury which Christopher Reeve showed immense courage in facing his injuries and
paralysed him from the neck down. huge physical challenges, resisting the temptation to fall into depression
and end his own life. The work he has done raising money for and
He took several days to fully regain consciousness, but when he did, supporting research into spinal injuries has made him a powerful symbol
the doctors told him he had completely destroyed his first and second of hope and resolve.
vertebrae. His life had completely changed and for a period of time
he considered suicide. Doctors told him that any small improvements “I refuse to allow a disability to determine how I live my life, I don’t mean
there may be to his condition would only come in the first six months to be reckless, but setting a goal that seems a bit daunting actually is
after the injury, but in 2002 Christopher stunned the medical community very helpful toward recovery.” – Christopher Reeve
Having Courage: My Hero
Can you think of an inspirational person who has
Add a Picture of shown great courage? This could be someone
your inspirational famous, or someone you know personally and lives
person here locally. Explain their life story and what they did to
show courage:
19 Activity 19: I’m Scared!
My Actions Which of the following do you most fear? Rank
them in order

Spiders Examinations
Performing in front of people Getting ill
Activity 18: Would you ever... Being alone in the dark Injections
18 Heights Nightmares
Which of the following would you do?
Small spaces The dentist
Give a speech to over 100 people Yes / No Ghosts Cockroaches
Public humiliation
Do a dance in front of all your friends Yes / No Flying
Go away without your parents Yes / No Rats
Mean dogs
Write a letter to someone important Yes / No

Wear fancy dress down the street Yes / No What else are you afraid of? Where do you need to show
courage to conquer your fears?
Eat a worm Yes / No

Climb Mount Everest Yes / No

Bungee jump over a river Yes / No

Go up to space in a rocket Yes / No

Wear crazy clothes round town one day Yes / No

Stand up for a friend in need Yes / No

Swim with sharks Yes / No

20 Activity 20: Times I have shown courage: I told the truth regardless of the consequences
Write down one time when you shown courage
in each of the following ways

I did the right thing, when others did not

I learnt from one of my mistakes

I tried a new activity

I did something despite negative pressure from my peers

I expressed myself even when others disapproved

I talked to someone new

I solved a problem without shouting

I took on a difficult challenge
My Thoughts

Courage means doing the right thing even when it is

the difficult thing because...

Everyone is capable of showing courage.

I agree/disagree because:

Have you ever gone along with the crowd even

though you knew it was wrong? How did you feel
about yourself? What did you learn from it?
What Does it Mean? Other Character Traits Endurance
finishing an unpleasant or

Important words Ambitious

a person with a strong desire to
difficult activity or process
without giving up
want to achieve something or
reach a certain goal Fortitude
being courageous or brave in
Character Having courage
Anxious the face of something difficult,
is who you are. It is what makes the ability to do the right thing
a person that is often worried painful or scary
you.....you. It is what you believe even when it is difficult
that something may go wrong or
in and how you act with others
not as planned Frugal
and when on your own. It is your Having patience
being very careful with your
values and your virtues. The capacity to accept or
Charismatic money, buying only things that
tolerate delay, problems, or
a character trait that includes are needed
Character trait suffering without becoming
traits such as leadership, charm
a feature of an individual or annoyed or anxious.
and persuasiveness, an ability to Honesty
group of people, it tells you
inspire other people. You might the ability to be truthful, sincere
about their personality. Helping others
often hear people say that a and fair
Make it easier or possible for
certain person is a charismatic
Virtue someone to do something by
leader; it means that people are Humble
a quality that is considered offering them help
naturally drawn to them, they are to feel that you are no more
desirable in a person, all the
inspiring. important than anyone else no
good things about you that Saving for the future
matter what the situation, even
can be used to describe your the quality of using money and
Compassionate you are the Queen or richest
character other resources carefully and
a person with the desire to help person in the world
not wastefully
others
The Eight Character Traits
Humility
Thinking creatively
Delayed gratification the ability to be modest and
Being determined the use of imagination or original
the ability of a person to wait for respectful
the ability to keep going ideas to create something new
something that they want and
whatever happens
not get it straight away Innovative
Working together
a person that starts something
Having a dream the combined action of a group,
Doggedness new, creates something or comes
having an aspiration, ambition especially when effective and
determined in effort, a very up with new ideas or ways to do
or goal efficient
determined person something
Inspirational Thrifty Entrepreneur be drawn on when needed, for
making you feel hopeful or a person that is careful with a person who organises and example a natural resource is
encouraged money, avoids waste works in a business, and takes on a resource supplied by nature
Tolerance a financial (money) risk doing so. including water, wood and air.
Integrity the ability to be able to accept Vocational providing skills and
the possession of firm principles, difference Humiliation education that prepare you for a
for example if you are willing to feel very embarrassed or job
to do the right thing – even if Will power ashamed
nobody is watching ability to control your own Volunteer
thoughts and how you behave Mentor a person who does something
Optimistic a person who advises and guides without receiving money for their
being positive and confident Other words you may not know people work or being forced to do it,
about what will happen normally involves helping other
Academic Personal statement people in some way
Prudent relating to school or higher a piece of writing about you
acting with and showing care education to describe your character,
for the future, a person who is what you are good at and
careful and sensible Aspiration your passion, normally to give
a strong desire to achieve to universities or potential
Resilient something employers.
the ability to recover quickly
from something, for example Audit Philanthropist
change, misfortune, illness looking at previous records to a person who makes charitable
see if they are correct donations to help others, in time
Risk averse or money
the dislike of, and desire, to Credit card
avoid any type of risk a card issued by a bank for the Self-reflection
purchase of items on credit – to think about yourself and reflect
Sense of humour money that a person does not on who you are
the ability to face danger, physically have but they are
difficulty, uncertainty and fear borrowing from a bank and will Reflect
pay interest on (a percentage of to think about
Tenacious extra money on top of what they
a person that has an opinion in are paying for an item) Resources
a determined way an available supply that can
We would like to thank the John Templeton Foundation for providing the
generous funding for this project. We would also like to thank all the
teachers, young people and the project advisory group who helped us
to create the resources. Specifically we would like to thank the teachers
and young people from the following schools:

Park View School, Birmingham

Stockport School, Stockport
Maltby Academy, Doncaster
Queen Elizabeth’s Grammar School, Ashbourne
Meadowhead School, Sheffield
Saltley School, Birmingham

For more information about the My Character Project or the Jubilee

Centre for Character and Virtues, please contact
[email protected] or see www.jubileecentre.ac.uk.

Designed by Joseph Pochodzaj