Courage is the price that life exacts for granting peace.

This encouraging sentiment is the opening line of the poem “Courage” by Amelia Earhart, who was not only a pioneering aviator but also an accomplished writer and poet. And she certainly knew something about courage. The poem, written in 1927 shortly before Earhart became the first woman to fly across the Atlantic Ocean, is an intimate peek into the trailblazer’s mind and motivation. She reflects that courage brings joy, that the willingness to push boundaries is the cost of admission to a fulfilling and vibrant life. It is no small price to pay, because bravery can only exist where there is also fear. But without courage, you won’t experience true peace or freedom.