Here’s one thing I realised as I grew older …. Courage is simple.
What I mean is, it is not something only superheroes have, not something you only get in momentous life-or-death situations.
Courage means being afraid and acting anyway. So, courage does not have to look grand. Courage can also be quiet; it is something we draw strength from during our little everyday battles.
It is getting out of bed in the mornings when your anxiety overpowers you.
It is letting go of the toxic relationship you find yourself trapped in for so long.
It is showing up in this oftentimes unkind world we live in.
It is caring for your loved ones whilst living with cancer.
Real, raw courage is the simple, everyday, quiet, unreserved strength to keep moving despite the smallest and biggest fears we have.
We often let fear dictate our decisions. However, living a courageous life is one of the best ways to find success in business and in life. According to Aristotle, courage is the first of human virtues because it makes all others possible.
So how do you banish fear and live the life you want?
Courage is a habit, a muscle you can exercise. Most of us are not born courageous, so we should not expect to magically acquire it without practice. As Brené Brown writes, “Courage is a habit, a virtue: You get it by courageous acts. It’s like you learn to swim by swimming. You learn courage by couraging.”
Here are some tips for you:
- Embrace vulnerability: If you feel afraid of other people seeing who you are, open up and become more vulnerable. Within vulnerability lies strength.
- Admit you have fears: Identifying what you are truly afraid of gives you the information you need to overcome the fears and insecurities.
- Face your fears: Exposing yourself to your fears is a great way to overcome it.
- Think positively: Allow others to love you and show you affection. Let others do nice things for you.
- Reduce your stress: Sometimes you experience fear due to exhaustion. Eat well, get enough sleep and exercise. Take breaks and take your vacation time.
- Know failure but press forward: If you fail, don’t curl up into a ball or head to a metaphorical corner. Keep moving forward instead.
- Continue to grow: Continue to grow by constantly trying to learn and improve your skills. Take all opportunities learn a new skill.
- Focus on the bigger picture: This is something that helps me massively. It is easier to be courageous on behalf of others than it is for your own sake.
Ultimately, it takes courage to be you. Look up and look around you. The world has a mould for us. Most of the time, we feel there is a list of things “we are supposed to do” by a certain time and in a certain way. It takes courage to get up, leave some behind, and make your own mould.
It does not make much sense to be anything else but you and it does not take much courage either.
