If you want to increase your happiness, one way is through nurturing your character strengths. Positive psychology has identified 24 strengths which can be divided into 6 distinct virtues. In this article I will talk about the strengths which make up the virtue ‘courage’: bravery, persistence, authenticity and vitality. In addition, I offer tips to help you develop each strength.

Bravery

Bravery is about facing a danger, despite misgivings. Such bravery can be physical, moral or psychological. It is easy to think of physical courage as a form of bravery, yet having moral courage is also important. Here a person may stand up for what they believe in, knowing that they may cause upset or opposition.  Bravery can help us develop our other strengths and reach our goals. Bravery is one of the strengths researchers have identified as being important to the recovery of life satisfaction after illness.

Tip: Look at the things that are getting in the way of you achieving your goal. Tackle them one at a time. As you face your fears and adapt, you will wonder why you were so afraid.

Persistence

A person with this strength will persevere to achieve whatever it is they are striving for. They will work hard to reach their goals and will tackle obstacles as they come their way. It is not about being a perfectionist and such goals are realistic. Importantly, such people are personally motivated and do not need extrinsic rewards (money, prizes etc) to help them achieve. In fact research suggests such motivators do little to help us persevere over the long term.

Tip: List all the things that you have started but not finished. Decide if you should discard them forever or if you want to finish them. For those you want to finish, work on one at a time until you get them finished.

Authenticity

An authentic person lives a genuine and honest life and is true to themselves.  As such, their behaviour will match their values. They do not say one thing then do something else. Having this strength means a person will have good self-awareness which in turn makes them more open to change. People like authenticity in others and evidence from research supports this notion.

Tip: Try not to go with the crowd when an opinion is being shared that differs from yours. Be honest with yourself and with your group and tell them what you really think.

Vitality

Having this strength means a person approaches life with zest, passion and enthusiasm. Such people look forward to their day. There are no half measures with these people. Furthermore, such people inspire others and help boost their levels of vitality. This may be one of your strengths if you do not depend on chemical substances to get your energy. Research has shown a high correlation between vitality and happiness.

Tip: Exercise and rest will boost your energy levels, so  sleep well and exercise regularly.

Written 2008 and originally published at makethechange.com.au.

Read about other virtues: