Relentless Courage & The Power of Principle

Principles: a fundamental truth or proposition that serves as the foundation for a system of belief or behavior.

Regardless the endeavor—Start with defining your guiding principles.

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To Kill a Mocking Bird

Rural Alabama; 1930’s. Post-depression era.

Meet Atticus Finch.

A small-town lawyer with uncompromising principles. Atticus accepts the case of Tom Robinson—an African-American falsely accused of assaulting a white woman. In a culture embedded in racial inequality and segregation, Atticus defends Tom knowing not only could this jeopardize his career—but his, and his family’s, safety.

Atticus is willing to be the center of a maelstrom to live his principles.

Equality. Justice. And relentless courage to fight for them.

When asked to take Tom’s case, Atticus does so without a moment’s hesitation. As a man living on predefined principles, fighting for Tom wasn’t a question to ponder, but a resolute action for a critical cause.

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Harper Lee, notoriously absent from the public eye, gave only one interview regarding To Kill a Mockingbird (which, subsequently, was one of her last interviews entirely).

Then and now—her message, depicted through the themes in her book, resonate.

After a successful book launch film production began, with Lee advising. She spoke proudly of the feeling on set, with cast and crew entirely absorbed in the film’s message of social injustice and inequality. Her passion influenced every facet of the production, fueling an atmosphere committed to its guiding principle.

“Real courage is when you know you’re licked before you begin, but you begin anyway and see it through no matter what.”

— Harper Lee

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Harper Lee believed in the principles of equality, and justice, and relentless courage regardless the stakes.

This inspired her to action.

2. Lee wrote a book whose title character embodies the values of equality, and justice, and relentless courage regardless the stakes.

This inspired Universal Pictures to action.

3. Harper Lee’s passion on set fueled a film production team—to a degree never before seen in cinema—to fully invest in an ethos of equality, and justice, and relentless courage regardless the stakes.

This inspired the movie crew to action.

4. The crew’s passion created a film so powerful, it remains a pillar in the continued fight for equality, justice, and relentless courage regardless the stakes.

This inspired a world to action.

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Let’s examine the process: step four, the ultimate outcome, required every step before it.

Often the task seems insurmountable. The greatest aspirations do.

Do not despair thinking your actions don’t matter; your contribution doesn’t count.

Harper Lee’s first action—the very first word itself—didn’t change the world alone. However, it was the catalyst for a chain of events resulting in a cultural phenomenon.

There are no meaningless actions when decisions are based on principle. The culmination of countless effort—in every scope and size—contribute to the critical tipping point for change.

The larger the boulder, the more effort necessary to make it move. You don’t have to see an immediate result to know you are making a difference.

You are.