Three Courage Questions

Growing courage is not only about doing a scary thing -- it's about listening to your heart and doing the right thing too.

Goal

This exercise prompts kids to explore their fears with the Three Courage Questions and then choose a course of action.

Resources

Pen + paper
Activity Instruction Sheet (optional) click to download

Instructions

First, explain that we will be talking about other peoples’ fear, so it’s important to make everyone feel SAFE. What are some ways your group can make sure everyone feels safe? Explain that talking about your fears is VERY courageous!
Each person writes down a fear of theirs on a piece of paper and anonymously drops it into a hat.
Take turns choosing one out of the hat, reading it aloud, and saying why it might be scary to someone.
Then, as a group, come up with a few options for navigating that fear. Then, evaluate these options based on The Three Courage Questions:
- Will it break an important rule or is it against the law?
- Will it hurt someone?
- Does it feel right for you?
Based on the answer to the Three Courage Questions, choose the best option (or two!) that is both courageous and right.

For example, the piece of paper drawn is “spiders.” The person who draws says, “Spiders are scary because they can crawl on you and maybe even hurt you.” The group comes up with ways to deal with this fear: “You could kill it!” or “You could ask for help” or “You could put a cup on top of it and slide the paper underneath it to put it outside.” Then, discuss the Three Courage Questions: killing it would hurt the spider and might feel wrong, so maybe that is not the most courageous choice, and so on with the other choices.

Discussion

How can something feel “right” and “scary” at the same time? What helps you feel courageous?
How can the Three Courage Questions help you make braver, better decisions?
How do you know if something feels “right for you”?