{ABSTRACT} In The Courage To Be Paul Tillich calls us to address our ultimate state of being and to challenge our connection with the source of being, calling us to our authentic self. His experience and insight has helped us to understand the transformative process of death and rebirth over and over as we struggle to live authentically. This article considers Tillich in the lives of two people who are striving for that authentic life and knowledge of self, helping us grasp his notions and translate them from complex language into common practice.