Finding courage. Sometimes it comes along when we least expect. And other times, we have to search everywhere only to come up empty.
Courage is something that can come out of fear. You are alerted that something doesn’t seem right or your might be in danger.
Wherever it comes from, sometimes you need some creative methods to find it faster. Know this: courage happens little-by- little, not overnight. Often, it’s not just one thing that provides you courage, it’s a compilation of methods that provide you enough.
What do you do when you need more courage? (Liquid courage doesn’t count…)
There are lots of ways to find and practice courage (https://hbr.org/2020/05/how-to-find-and-practice-courage). Below are some tried and true ideas of places to find courage:
- Take a CliftonStrengths / StrengthsFinders assessment.Learn what you do best so that you can do more of that. Learn how to focus on your strengths and apply them to your everyday life. Focusing on your strengths shows you a path through chaos, problems, and fear. Your strengths give you confidence to move forward.
- Remind yourself that fear isn’t always helpfulI’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: Don’t sit and stew in the stress, pain. Fear is a great indicator that it is time to take action, to get up and move. But to sit still in the fear only prolongs the pain and isn’t really helpful in the long run. Ask yourself what you might be avoiding?
- Expand your comfort zone graduallyBoosting your courage doesn’t happen overnight. It happens day by day. You start small, gain a victory, and then do it again the next day.
- Remember to breathe
It’s amazing how slowing down to take a breath helps build your confidence - Take a step back and get objective
Maintain your focus on what actually happened, rather than attaching feelings/meaning to it. - What would you tell a friend in the same situation?It’s always easier to come up with solutions for other people, right? How often have you caught yourself figuring out other people’s problems rather than your own? It’s easier because you aren’t attaching personal feelings and meaning to the situation.
- Ask, “Who do I need to become?” instead of “What do I need to do?”I love this one
When we find ourselves in a pinch, we often jump to the steps we need to take to get out of it. And we don’t always have that solution and get discouraged. Instead, ask yourself who you need to become and you’ll be amazing at how the solutions begin to appear. - Take actionThe longer you wait to take action, the less courageous you’re going to feel. You are going to give yourself time to talk yourself out of whatever courageous action you need to take.
- Embrace Your VulnerabilityWe’re all afraid of something. Don’t be afraid to share your fears and ask for help to work through them. (Like me last week!)
- Think Positively
Believe in yourself and your ability to find courage, to be brave. - Reduce Your StressWhen you are overwhelmed and exhausted or burned out – it’s tough to summon the energy to be courageous
12. Continue to Learn
- When you continue to learn and challenge yourself, you are proving to yourself you are capable. You are proving have courage to open yourself to new ideas, think out of the box.
- Accept Your ChallengesDon’t let fear drive your decisions or decide your fate. Instead focus on your goals and your previous accomplishments.
- Accept That Life Is Full of Risks and UncertaintiesStuff happens. It does and it will. But if you spend time preparing for some of life’s unknowns like creating a savings account, learning to budget, learning a new skill… You will be able to face those risks and uncertainties with less fear.
- Know You Are Going to Fail SometimesWe all fail. We all screw up. But learn from those mistakes and failures. Allow those lessons to feed your courage to try again.
- Ditch the DramaInstead of giving in to your fear-driven inner beliefs, such as “I’m scared because I can’t handle it.” Recognize that statement is a story you are telling yourself to stay stuck. Ditch the dramatic statements and feelings and make factual ones.
- Check-In With YourselfYou’ve admitted you are afraid. Time to move past it right? Not quite. Sometimes fear is wisdom that you’re in danger or on the wrong path. Take time to get clear. If there are no signs of real threat or danger – move forward.
- Recognize You’re In Great Company
Everyone feels fear. Even your role models. For those people who never seem to fear anything and/oralways seem to take courageous action consider focusing on what to do instead of what you feel. - Relate to Fear As A Good SignHere’s the truth about fear: it means you’re human and that you are on the verge of growth. Once you’ve ruled out danger, you can take fear as a good sign that you’re alive and engaged.
- Focus on Your “Why”
Knowing why you are doing something helps boost your spirit and confidence.
