Fearless? Not Exactly...

It’s funny.

Sometimes, people tell me I’m fearless, especially when it comes to the work I do.

Honestly though, flattering as that may be, fear is an emotion I’m very familiar with.

If you don’t believe me, let me know, and I’ll tell you about the nights I’ve lost sleep over all of the little details of whatever project I’m working on.

I know how much violence prevention work impacts people’s lives. That’s scary, and not something I want to take lightly.

I know how much violence prevention work impacts people’s lives. That’s scary, and not something I want to take lightly.

So no, I’m not fearless.

A dear friend of mine likes to remind me that courage isn’t lack of fear. It’s feeling fear but moving forward in spite of it. That resonates with me a lot more than the idea of being fearless.

I also argue that Empowerment Self Defense isn't about learning to be fearless. It's about learning how to keep going even when we're scared, and understanding that fear is not necessarily a bad thing.

One reason I’m able to keep going is that I’m not alone. During my talk at The Violence Prevention Education Conference, I looked at the side of my computer screen and saw names of people from The Czech Republic, Albania, The United Kingdom, Brazil, Costa Rica, Israel, The U.S., Canada, Kenya, and Nigeria.

Working together, and playing together in the “global ESD sandbox” is the only option.

That was a great reminder that we don’t have to do this work alone. What we’re doing is huge. Working together, and playing together in the “global ESD sandbox” is the only option.

I believe that together, we are superhumanly strong.