Courage: The Heart and Spirit of Every Woman

By Sandra Ford Walston

Book Overview

Embrace your courageous spirit! Why do some women have the courage to develop their full potential, fight injustice, embrace faith, and choose their own path? Are they the exceptional few, or can... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0767907620
• ISBN13: 9780767907620
• Release Date: May 2001
• Publisher: Broadway
• Length: 256 Pages
• Weight: 0.90 lbs.
• Dimensions: 8.5" x 1.0" x 5.8"

Customer Reviews

A wonderful, useful book!

As the founder of the Compassion Fatigue Awareness Project, I use "Courage: The Heart and Spirit of Every Woman" as a training tool in my workshops for caregivers. Sandra's book gets to the heart of how to live an authentic, sustainable life - and that is to have the courage to fulfill your dreams and desires for a happy life. The writing is easy to understand, gentle and kind. Sandra understands her reading audience and offers support and encouragement. The book has a permanent place on my reading Resource List. If and when she publishes again, I'm sure her future books will also share a place on the list. Patricia Smith [...]

Everyday Courage: It's Not Your Fireman's Bravery Anymore...

This beautifully and heart-fully conceived and written book finally expands our traditional notion of courage. Women have been historically excluded from the most understood definitions of courage -- sadly, most often by themselves! Yes, we remember Joan of Arc, Rosa Parks and . . . well, I had to stop there for a moment because that's where the history books usually stop. How are we training young girls to think of themselves through history? Where will they fit if courage continues to mean going chest to chest in the face of danger? Sandra Walston's extensive research, over many years and with a great sampling of women, tells us that women have bought into the notions of courage as physical valor and she refutes the easy characterization to plunge us into self-knowledge -- and self-action to better our lives. What about that woman down the street who leaves an abusive relationship? That single mother who is raising four kids while tending to an ailing mother but makes the decision to leave a job to go back to school for the greater possibilities of a brighter future? Or the whistle-blowing lower-level employee who risks severe repercussions as she alerts others to corruption or other malfeasance where she works? And YOU? How do you define yourself? Is courage one of your top three self-defining adjectives? Probably not, according to Sandra's research. But it could be! It takes a different perspective and achievable actions that Sandra shares in this breakthrough book that should be on every woman's bookshelf. Filled with excellent tips, powerful revelations and many examples of the courage within us all that is just waiting to be tapped, I choose to give this book as gifts on every occasion, and to use it in my teaching. I eagerly look forward to more from this talented thinker.

Redefining Courage

Sandra's beautiful book invited me to personally redefine courage. At the start of the book, while I easily attributed other lovely terms, I did not define myself as courageous. The reader is invited to select 9 words that describes her from a large word bank of terms. Well, let's just say that not too far into the book, I realized that I am pretty darn courageous after all. As a result of reading this book I began consciously breathing "courage" into my children-focusing most especially on my daughters. I started using the word "courageous" when I spoke to my kids, so they could begin to get a broader view of what the term really means and how opportunities present DAILY to show courage. Moreover, this title with its inspiring personal accounts from the author and real life examples of other women show how courage must be a part of who we are in order to really "seize life" and live fully. While I am usually one to push through fear to step toward my goals, this title gave me tools to continue with this way of being. No longer will courage have to be the "forgotten virtue" with the likes of Ms. Walston's work because we can learn how to recognize ways everyday, to bring it on! Fear keep people so very small. While many debate the true opposite of fear (love, faith, courage)...perhaps we can all agree that courage has a place in working through fear to really make contributions, find joy and purpose in life. And if Author Emile Zola is right, and we did come to "live out loud," than Sandra Ford Walston's book is a tool to help each of us find a new way to turn up the volume. Rena M. Reese Founder, Soul Salon International Author of The Soul Salon The Little Book of Pink Streaking for the Soul among other titles

Courage and Women

Sandra Walston presented me with the opportunity to step back and review my personal definition of courage. I found that, although I would like to think I have a more enlightened concept of courage, subconsciously I have stored some old stereotypes that are still there. "Courage" and "courageous" are words often used to describe men engaged in heroic feats. With her step-by-step guidance, I was able to more fully embrace the knowledge that my most courageous act is to know who I truly am and live fully being who I was designed to be. Sandra's elegant writing style combined with the personal accounts of real women make this book an important reminder that, as women, we can live courageously every day of our lives.

Celebrating Everyday Courage

This book celebrates the everyday courage in woman. It shares several inspirational stories on how woman have had to use courage in their daily lives, from overcoming loss, starting a new job, raising a child, or fighting an illness.