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"I have told you this so that you might have peace in me. In the world you will have trouble, but take courage, I have conquered the world." John 16:33
The Take Courage Blog
Finding meaning and joy in the modern world
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Oh Happy Fault: Gratitude, Grace, and a Broken Washing Machine (Finding Meaning in Suffering)
“Of all the times…” I caught myself saying, staring at the washing machine dials, hoping for signs of life.
One of our children was sick, we had travel plans and desperately needed to wash laundry. Life was full. As the faint smell of burnt electronics reached my nose, I felt my cup was starting to overflow.
Those very human emotions started to come up – frustration and even mild resentment. This was just one more inconvenience, one more thing I had to deal with in a
Bobby Jakucs, Psy.D.
6 days ago
Humor and Resilience in Hard Times: The Spiritual Meaning of Humor (Part II)
Humor, as we discussed last time in Part I of this series, is a powerful weapon in the face of adversity. It allows us to take perspective and engage in creative problem solving. Like a knight’s shield, humor helps us absorb the blows of life while still moving toward what matters.
We also investigated how humor is a powerful tool in developing tragic optimism, the heroic stance one takes towards life. Far from being witty, humor in this light, is something we uncover tha
Bobby Jakucs, Psy.D.
Mar 9
Feeling Good vs Living Well (Part 2): The Desire for Happiness and the Home We Were Made For
In Part I of this series, we looked at all the ways we seek happiness – often by trying to mitigate suffering.
And, in doing so we often add to our suffering. We looked at how trying to control the way we feel, by eliminating negative emotions, is doomed to failure. It does not eliminate them, in fact, it often brings on more suffering.
But the question remains: why are so we so obsessed with happiness in the first place? For that answer, we need to go all the way back t
Bobby Jakucs, Psy.D.
Dec 30, 2025
Jesus of Nazareth: Liar, Lunatic, or Lord? A Psychologist Reflects on C.S. Lewis, Sanity, and the Only Truth That Holds
“Who do you say that I am?” This is the question Jesus asked His disciples two thousand years ago. Peter answered with the clarity only grace can give: “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” But every generation must answer that same question again. And in our age—one marked by anxiety, despair, and a deep confusion about identity—the stakes feel even higher. A few years back, in the middle of studying for my psychology licensure exam, my mind wandered
Bobby Jakucs, Psy.D.
Dec 1, 2025
The One You Feed: The Meaning of the Two Wolves Story and Life’s Choice Points
here’s an old story I've heard many times, and often share with my patients. It goes like this:
“An old Cherokee Chief is walking along with his grandson one day through the woods. As they reach a ravine the chief pauses and looks intently at the young brave and says, ‘my son there is a battle going inside of me. There are two wolves: one is evil, full of pride, anger, jealousy and greed. The other is good: he is loving, humble, compassionate and grateful. These two wolve
Bobby Jakucs, Psy.D.
Nov 17, 2025
The Meaning of Memento Mori: 5 Ways Remembering Death Can Improve Your Life
John Steinbeck once wrote that we should live so that our death brings no pleasure to the world. It’s a somber thought. But also, a liberating one. Think about it - If you knew today were your last day on earth, would you act differently?
Nearly two millennia before Steinbeck, the Stoic philosopher and Roman emperor Marcus Aurelius’ wrote himself a reminder to guide him through life’s tumults: 'You could leave life right now. Let that determine what you do and say and thin
Bobby Jakucs, Psy.D.
Oct 16, 2025
The Warrior’s Return: From the Temple of Mars to the Cathedral
Being a Veteran means carrying on a legacy of discipline, sacrifice and courage. Last week, we looked at three soldier-saints, who used their scars (those seen and unseen) as gifts. We examined how it was their very desires for honor, glory and loyalty, coupled with their very real suffering, that when united to Christ became their new mission. They found their “coming home” not in running from the past but surrendering to it in the service of something greater.
Bobby Jakucs, Psy.D.
Sep 27, 2025
This Is the Way? (Until It’s Not): Fusion vs. Defusion
A long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away...there was a group of elite bounty hunters who lived and died by their code. A code rooted in a commitment to each other, and their way of life. These are the Mandalorians and “this is the way.”
This powerful phrase serves as a greeting and salute but so much more. Their code provides a structure, and a source of meaning in a chaotic universe.
Bobby Jakucs, Psy.D.
Aug 25, 2025
Walking Through Burnout: Lessons from the Road to Emmaus
Burnout doesn’t just drain our energy — it can quietly erode our sense of purpose. It’s more than tiredness; it’s a creeping disconnection
Bobby Jakucs, Psy.D.
Aug 16, 2025
Finding Gratitude in Hard Times: How Thankfulness Transforms Suffering
We’ve all met people who radiate calm and even joy amid hardship. They aren’t untouched by pain, but somehow, they carry it differently—like Marcus Aurelius’ rock at sea, standing firm despite the waves, or like bamboo, bending but never breaking. What gives these individuals their strength? More often than not, it’s gratitude. Not a shallow kind of gratitude for ease or comfort, but a deeper thankfulness
Bobby Jakucs, Psy.D.
Aug 9, 2025
Why Can’t I Sleep Even When I’m Tired? (What Science, Psychology, and Faith Reveal)
What we are going to do here is look at what happens when we sleep: why we sleep and why we don’t. Specifically we are going to explore:
- The science and mechanics of how we sleep
-What gets in the way of good sleep, --How to restore peaceful nights using psychological principles and behavioral change
-When they do happen, how we can use sleepless nights as an opportunity to reconnect to the sacred
Bobby Jakucs, Psy.D.
Aug 2, 2025
Carrying the Fire: Tragic Optimism on The Road
There’s a reason I return to Cormac McCarthy’s The Road every year, just like Brett McKay at The Art of Manliness. It’s not an easy book. T
Bobby Jakucs, Psy.D.
Jul 26, 2025
Don't Believe Everything You Think: Choosing Meaning Over Mental Chatter
Have you ever had a song stuck in your head? Maybe it’s a catchy pop tune with a great beat, or, if you’re a parent, perhaps it’s a children
Bobby Jakucs, Psy.D.
Jul 19, 2025
Belief vs. Believing: The Psychology of Pascal's Wager and the Ultimate Poker Game
Have you ever watched a high-stakes poker game? There’s that moment when a player pushes their chips to the center of the table
Bobby Jakucs, Psy.D.
Jul 12, 2025
What If Everything We Do Matters? The Profound Weight of Our Daily Choices
There are moments in our lives we do something noteworthy and realize the weight of that choice - good or bad. Maybe it is something we said
Bobby Jakucs, Psy.D.
Jul 5, 2025
Tragic Optimism: Embracing Meaning in Life’s Messiness
"Hope mean's hoping when things are hopeless, or it is no virtue at all." - G.K. Chesterton Finding freedom within suffering - tragic...
Bobby Jakucs, Psy.D.
Jun 28, 2025
The Hills We Choose to Die On: Discernment, Courage, and Letting Go
You’ve been there. It’s after dinner and you’ve had a long day at work. You look over at your wife and realize she’s loading the dishwasher the “wrong way.”
Or maybe it’s bedtime and the kids are just not listening – the toys are not going where they are supposed to, they are splashing the bath water all over the place and you feel that mild irritation building.
Or perhaps you’re on the phone with a customer service representative and notice your voice starting to rai
Bobby Jakucs, Psy.D.
Jun 25, 2025
Take Courage: Loving Deeply and Finding Meaning in the Midst of Suffering
"I have said this to you, so that in me you may have peace. In the world you face persecution. But take courage; I have conquered the world!” - John 16: 33 Take courage: the Cross is not the end of the story, but the doorway to love. An Invtation to Meaning, Courage and the Cross There’s a moment in Man’s Search for Meaning —one of those moments that marks the soul—when Viktor Frankl, imprisoned in Auschwitz, trudged through the cold before dawn on a bitter day of forced labo
Bobby Jakucs, Psy.D.
Jun 18, 2025
AT THE INTERSECTION OF FAITH, PSYCHOLOGY & WISDOM
It was Viktor Frankl, psychiatrist and concentration camp survivor who coined the term "Tragic Optimism." An attitude of taking meaningful action and finding purpose despite whatever the very real circumstances of life. While most of us in the modern Western World do not face specter of death in a concentration camp, so many of us face a second, more subtle problem Frankl identified - a profound sense of meaninglessness. This blog is meant to be an antidote to that problem, or better yet a series of signposts on the Way. It is an intersection of the treasures of the Catholic faith, the wisdom of the classical philosophical tradition and the latest in sound behavioral science. 80% of these concepts will apply to anyone, religious and non-religious alike. That said, I hope it will spark an interest in non-believers, or reignite the passion of those for whom the fire of belief has grown cold, to take a deeper look at what the profound truth of the Cross really means. That is two things 1) you are infinitely Loved and 2) your life is worth living.
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