How would it feel to be pressured by your “friends” into doing something you think is scary and dangerous? This is the situation Vinny faced in “The Ravine” by Graham Salisbury. You can find different ways to find courage, just like Vinny did in “The Ravine”. Courage comes from many different places, but usually, people find the courage to face their fears by seeking help from a therapist, asking someone, usually older, for advice, or accepting the challenge from within. We will be exploring these methods throughout this essay.

One of the most common ways to find the courage to face your fears is to seek help from a professional therapist. Many times, we may need help from other people to overcome our fears, which a therapist can do. In “Fears and Phobias” by kidshealth.org, it states that “Sometimes, people need the help of a therapist to guide them…” In other words, a therapist can encourage and guide you when you need it because a therapist can provide support and give you advice. Also, it states in paragraph 30, “A therapist might also teach relaxation training, or soothing self-talk.” This proves how therapists can provide many different strategies to help you find courage. As you can see, therapy is a way to help many people find courage.

Secondly, people can also find courage from asking someone, usually older, for advice. Many older people have been through different experiences, and they each have advice that you may be able to use towards your fears or problems. This is shown in “The Breadwinner” by Deborah Ellis when someone gives Parvana insight into her fears in paragraph 22. They said, “‘It has to be your decision,’ Mrs. Weera said. ‘We can force you to cut your hair, but you’re still the one who has to go outside and act the part…’”. In other words, Mrs. Weera from the story is giving advice to Parvana(the main character) to convince her and give her courage. This helped Parvana gain courage because it helped her realize that she was the one making the decision and that she wasn’t being forced to do something she didn’t want.

We can see that this works as the story states in paragraphs 23-24, “Parvana realized Mrs. Weera was right…In the end, it really was her decision. Somehow knowing that made it easier to agree.” This demonstrates how Mrs. Weera gave Parvana more courage to face her fears through her advice and words. This is also known as “Words of the Wiser,” which is what Mrs. Weera gave Parvana. Advice is valuable because it can help you realize and look at things from a different perspective, look at both sides, and help you think about decisions. As seen above, people also find courage through other people’s (usually older) advice and insight.

Lastly, the final way that people find courage is within themselves and by accepting the challenges. Many times, we just need to go for it and face our challenges. For example, in “The Breadwinner”, in paragraph 62, it states, “‘It’s easy to call someone else scared when you’re safe inside your house all the time!’ Parvana shot back. She spun around and went outside, slamming the door behind her.” This shows how she doesn’t hesitate and just faces her fears of being caught, even though she’s scared. Likewise, in the poem “Life Doesn’t Frighten Me” by Maya Angelou, in stanza 8 it states, “I’ve got a magic charm/That I keep up my sleeve/I can walk the ocean floor/And never have to breathe.” This makes me think that she is always prepared for the unexpected with her “magic charm,” which is the courage within herself. This courage within the speaker is found in facing her different problems and challenges. To summarize, people can also find courage from within and accept the challenges.

As can be seen, many people find the courage to face their fears by seeking help from a therapist, asking someone, usually older, for advice, or accepting the challenge from within. Now imagine yourself facing one of your challenges or fears. No matter the fear or challenge you face, remember these strategies and think about how to face it. You’ll be surprised at the courage you have within yourself when you have some help and support.