Center for Courage & Renewal

Center for Courage & Renewal A nonprofit organization offering retreats, programs, events and consulting. Based on the work of author and activist Parker J.

The Center for Courage & Renewal exists to nurture deep integrity and relational trust, building the foundation for a more loving, equitable, and healthy world. Palmer the Courage & Renewal approach is distinguished by principles and practices intended to create supportive communities of reflection and belonging that help people move towards personal and societal wholeness.

06/17/2026

Asking open, honest questions is one of the essential practices of the Courage & Renewal Approach. Inviting others into reflection instead of steering them toward a particular answer not only makes room for their inner teacher, but allows us to form meaningful connections.

In a 2025 Between The Lines Author Series conversation, Valerie Brown invites us to reflect on deep listening as a way to validate others and their experiences, which can lead to deeper connection.

Here are a few examples of open honest questions to practice deep listening to yourself and others:

1) What am I learning from this experience?

2) What possibilities are emerging for you?

3) What do I need most in this moment?

Watch and listen to the full conversation here: https://youtu.be/QW1PJLokMfU?is=m3FJ3a__gPND3FRT

Inspiration for the Week: As you look inward are there moments you can remember where you felt courageous? As you look o...
06/15/2026

Inspiration for the Week:

As you look inward are there moments you can remember where you felt courageous?

As you look outward, where are you seeing courage show up in your community?

06/12/2026

Spending time with our own thoughts can be an essential ingredient to nurturing trust in ourselves. Listen to the sound of the rain. What lessons are waiting just beneath the busyness of life? What helps you attend to your inner teacher?

06/10/2026

As a look back on our 2025-2026 Between the Lines Author Series, we wanted to share some insight from author, trainer, and nonviolence and restorative justice practitioner Kazu Haga.

In conversation with Kathryn McElveen and Parker Palmer, Kazu reflected on the intersections of his own healing journey, the trust-building work required to live in beloved community, and the lessons he’s learned from decades of Buddhist practice and trauma healing work to advance social change and collective healing.

In the conversation, he emphasized that meaningful social change begins with the inner work of healing - “You can’t demand that the world heal if we’re not willing to heal our own wounds.”

Inspiration for the Week:Think of a time when you felt like you were doing your best work - How did you feel? What was y...
06/08/2026

Inspiration for the Week:

Think of a time when you felt like you were doing your best work - How did you feel? What was your role? How did you use your gifts and talents?

What becomes possible when the work you’re doing is aligned with your values?

We threw a lot of questions at you this week and we’d love for you to share your reflections with us in the comments.

06/05/2026

Our world is an intricately connected ecosystem of people, plants, animals, water ways and oceans, and the many life forms that work together to make up this beautiful place. It is full of complexity, contradictions, and paradoxical relationships - peace and violence, joy and sorrow, noise and silence. In those contradictions, people still find ways to show up, shape the future, and build stronger, more connected communities.

Where do you feel most connected these days? How are you extending invitation for others to feel connected?

Kate Kellett is the Director of Employee Health Services at HealthPartners. She was introduced to the Courage & Renewal ...
06/03/2026

Kate Kellett is the Director of Employee Health Services at HealthPartners. She was introduced to the Courage & Renewal Touchstones when she participated in CCR's Academy for Leaders in 2015. We caught up with Kate recently and asked if there was one Touchstone that she could teach everyone in the world, what would that be and why?

She chose "No Fixing, Saving, Advising, or Correcting Each Other" and shared how she leans on the Touchstones when her team is working to solve problems to support healthcare workers.

“You know, one thing that immediately comes to mind is the idea of ‘no fixing.’ Trying to fix things has gotten me into trouble so many times over the years, and it applies to every part of life - friendships, family dynamics, and work relationships. It’s a difficult concept to practice because the instinct creeps in all the time: ‘I’ve got the answer. I can fix this.’ But so often, things go much better when you resist that urge. Instead of solving the problem for someone, you help them find their own way.” - Kate Kellett

Inspiration for the Week:Living authentically can be as simple as letting your choices reflect what you genuinely care a...
06/01/2026

Inspiration for the Week:

Living authentically can be as simple as letting your choices reflect what you genuinely care about. Not perfectly, not all at once, just through the everyday decisions that feel most true to you.

Where in your life are you being invited to live more authentically?

There are days when our paths feel clear. We know our values and we are taking actions rooted in them. Other days we hav...
05/29/2026

There are days when our paths feel clear. We know our values and we are taking actions rooted in them. Other days we have more questions than answers about where we are headed and what next step to take. Living the questions is part of the journey and trusting our inner teacher to reveal the next step is part of the process.

What questions are you trying to live these days?

Inspiration for the Week:Owning our story is rarely easy, but avoiding it can keep us disconnected from ourselves and ot...
05/26/2026

Inspiration for the Week:

Owning our story is rarely easy, but avoiding it can keep us disconnected from ourselves and others. Sometimes the moments we’d rather skip over are the ones that shape our capacity for courage and connection.

What’s one part of your story you’ve learned to meet with more honesty or gentleness over time?

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