The First Book office is in a central location in downtown Washington, DC, and the options for how to spend a lunch hour are endless. One of my favorite things to do is to visit book stores, particularly for author readings and book signings.

I had heard that Arianna Huffington was going to be in town earlier this week to promote her new book, On Becoming Fearless, and decided to go, meet her and buy the book. I was intrigued by the topic. I have always felt that if you could envision something it could be achieved, but the problem is getting started, taking those first uncomfortable steps, putting aside whatever fears are holding you back.

I’ve traveled to the Gulf Coast a number of times since Hurricane Katrina hit last year as part of my work with Book Relief and our commitment to bring five million new books to the Gulf Coast. These trips have made me think a lot about fearlessness and resiliency.

When we launched Book Relief, we thought we were being fearless. We didn’t have five million books, much less funding for shipping and staff. We only knew we had to do something, and putting new books into the hands of those that need them the most was what we knew best.

To quote Arianna Huffington, “Fearlessness is not the absence of fear. Rather, it’s the mastery of fear.” On the Gulf Coast, I have met those who embody fearlessness in action and I have certainly revised my definition of being fearless. Our wonderful partners at the Coast Guard saved so many from drowning at the risk of their own lives. Teachers and administrators who lost everything have recreated schools, albeit some times in Quonset huts or modular units, to bring some normalcy back into children’s lives. Volunteers work under difficult conditions to try to help rebuild.

The courage, the fearlessness, is inspiring and humbling, and makes us all even more fearless about meeting the commitment we have made to help rebuild children’s lives…one new book at a time.