I asked for courage—what I really need is consistency.

I asked for courage.

The answer I received gave me clarity:

I don’t actually need courage.

I mean, it’s cool. It’s giving big Wizard of Oz Courageous Lion energy (yeah I know he was the Cowardly Lion, but as Auntie Tab says, STAY FOCUSED!)

But what I need right now isn’t courage.

I NEED CONSISTENCY.

I NEEEEEEEEEEED IT!

Like a fat kid needs cake. And I'm the fat kid. Gimme my cake!

Seriously though, consistency has always been safe for me.

Familiar. Grounding.

I lived inside it in the military for 11 years, and that part of it felt good.

Uniform on. Schedule set. Mission clear.

Order. Discipline. Repetition.

Knowing what I was responsible for and showing up to do it — again and again.

Consistency taught my nervous system how to settle.

How to focus.

How to trust myself.

And that’s when courage arrived.

Courage grows when I consistently do what I love, when I am consistently being who I love being, until loving who I am becomes effortless.

Less effort, actually. Always effort because I’m worth that — just less now. More ease.

And I continue that until being and doing are no longer separate.

Until I am simply, fabulously, and courageously being me.

Courage isn’t required to be who I am.

It’s only needed when I’m pretending.

Or when a truer, more aligned version of me is just being born.

In the beginning, there’s a little wobble.

New legs. Unsteady steps.

I remember that feeling.

Walking into Navy leadership and my first command fresh outta grad school.

Big silver bar on my collar. Lieutenant Junior Grade 😎 Haha. 

Officer responsibility in my hands.

My people looking at me like, Okay, ma’am… what now?

Gulp.

I didn’t have it all figured out.

But I stood up anyway.

I read the instructions.

I asked questions.

I leaned HEAVILY on my people 😍.

I showed up again the next day.

And the next.

That wobble didn’t mean I wasn’t ready.

It meant I was learning.

Consistency did the rest.

I remember thinking, "I know I can do this. I know what’s in me."

So I DID THAT.

And then the courage came — with evidence.

Actual proof that I could.

Consistency creates the proof.

Standing up again.

Taking another step.

Showing up, even when the steps feel small.

Especially when they feel small.

Because those small ones add up. Boom — effortless consistency.

That’s when courage arrives.

Not forced. Not summoned.

Not through I AM COURAGEOUS affirmations.

Nah. That didn’t work for me.

My body needed evidence. That’s the energy my body responds to.

So now I give it more evidence.

Consistency.

Presence.

Celebration.

Repeat.

Honor.

Commitment.

And yes — courage. (Yeah, I know it’s outta order 🙄)

Because courage was never the requirement.

Being me was.

IS.

BEING ME IS THE REQUIREMENT.

And when I am consistent in small, honest ways, true ways...courage lands naturally.

With ease. With peace.

With a big sigh…

Yep. I did that.

Again.