How to Choose Courage When Life Gets Hard

Fear is universal. Whether it’s fear of failing, losing something important, starting over, or facing the unknown — we all feel it. But faith? Faith is a choice. A daily, moment-to-moment decision to keep going, even when you're uncertain. To trust that something greater is unfolding, even when you can't see it yet.

At Starlead Wear, Faith Over Fear isn’t just a phrase on apparel. It’s a mantra. A reminder. A mindset we choose to live by — especially when things get hard.

What It Really Means to Choose Faith Over Fear

Choosing faith over fear doesn’t mean pretending everything’s fine. It means facing what’s real, while still holding hope. It’s showing up with courage even when doubt whispers. It’s being clear-eyed about the struggle, and still believing there's a way through.

Fear narrows your options.
Faith opens your eyes.

Fear isolates.
Faith connects.

Fear freezes you in place.
Faith moves you forward.

We’re not talking about blind optimism. We're talking about grounded belief. The kind built in real life, through real challenges, by real people.

Brenda’s Story: Gratitude, Faith, and the Light That Found Me

For me (Brenda), faith became personal during one of the lowest times of my life. I was about to lose the home I had inherited from my parents. I was battling health issues. Finances were tight. Regret weighed heavily on me — regret for choices I’d made, things I had done or didn’t do.

I stood in the middle of the living room, closed my eyes and began praying, tears streaming down my face. I guess it was more of a plea for help at that time, rather than a prayer.

My mind was suddenly flooded with images. Memories of people, places, turning points. Not all were happy. Some were painful. Like watching my parents die. But together, they painted a full picture of my life. And the overwhelming feeling I had was…gratitude. I realized I was thankful for all of it, even for losing my parents. Because even the hard moments made me stronger, wiser, and more resilient.

Then I felt something…like a light touch on the top of my head. It spread like a warm tingling sensation from the crown of my head to the tips of my toes and fingers. It was unlike anything I’d ever experienced. It felt like a release. Acceptance. Gratitude. Peace. Joy. Love.

Since then, my prayer has been simple:

“Thank you, God, for all my yesterdays, all my todays, and all my tomorrows.”

Gratitude, I believe, is a key to faith. When you can look back, even on our greatest losses and most painful moments, and say “thank you,” that’s faith in action.

Our Spiritual Journeys: Searching, Shifting, Becoming

I was raised in Nichiren Daishonin's Buddhism through the Soka Gakkai International (SGI), thanks to my parents. But I didn’t engage with it seriously until my early twenties, after my father passed away. At my mother’s encouragement, I began chanting more, studying more, mentoring young women, and eventually became a Young Women's Leader for the Pacific Northwest, traveling all over to support others.

But in my 30s, I stepped back. I began to question what I believed and whether the path I was on truly resonated with my spirit anymore. I felt lost. I searched. And in that time, I remembered a dream I’d had years before, one that still affects me today.

In the dream, I saw a man walking toward me, arms open. He radiated warmth, compassion, love. It was a kind of peace I had never known. When I woke up, that feeling stayed with me. Over time, I came to believe that what I saw, who I saw, was Jesus.

That moment planted a seed. And in the last few years, I’ve found myself exploring, learning, and slowly walking a new path of faith, one that feels both unfamiliar and yet deeply right.

Tamaz’s Journey: Two Paths, One Heart

Tamaz’s story is similar. He grew up in a household where both Buddhism and Christianity were present — his mother an SGI Buddhist, his father a Christian. Like me, he was encouraged to become more active in Buddhist leadership and eventually became a Young Men’s Division Leader. That’s actually how we met.

But as time went on, he too began to ask deeper questions. He began exploring his father’s faith. Not out of obligation, but out of genuine curiosity and need. Today, he’s walking that path with open eyes and an open heart, just like I am.

How to Choose Faith Over Fear (Even When It’s Hard)

1. Name the Fear.

Don’t run from it. Get honest about what’s really holding you back. Why are fearful of it?

2. Ground Yourself in Gratitude.

Gratitude isn’t toxic positivity. It’s perspective. It’s saying, “Even here, even now, I see something worth honoring.”

3. Take One Small Step.

Faith is a verb. Start with one thing — a decision, a conversation, a commitment. Movement creates momentum. Ask yourself, how this can make you wiser, stronger, what can you learn from this?

4. Check the Voices Around You and INSIDE You.

Fear grows louder when you're isolated. Faith is nurtured in community, in truth-telling, in connection. Also, it’s good to hear others perspectives other than the narrative running in your head.

5. Practice the Rhythm.

You won’t feel faithful every day. That’s okay. Faith isn’t a feeling — it’s a rhythm. A daily return to what matters most. It’s like building a muscle, you gotta keep at it everyday to make it stronger, until it becomes part of your nature. You’ll find you can “lift” heavier things as that muscle grows.

Let Your Faith Rise Greater Than Your Fear

Fear doesn’t always look like panic or anxiety. Sometimes it’s quiet. Sometimes it sounds logical. Sometimes it feels like safety. Or even love. But if it’s keeping you small, keeping you silent, keeping you stuck — it’s not serving you.

Faith isn’t about certainty. It’s about courage. And it's yours to choose, even in the unknown.

And when fear rises, let your faith rise greater.

RISE GREATLY.