For the last few years I have become almost obsessed with the topic of courage. As I’ve mentioned before it is a word that many people reserve for soldiers, firemen, policemen, people battling life-threatening illnesses and the like.
Yes, the word courage does apply to all of those. I also believe the word is applicable to all of us in sometimes simple and mundane situations. If you are facing something that makes your skin crawl or your hair stand on end and you choose to take it on I believe you are being courageous. What might require courage for me to do may not cause you any fear or anxiety.
Here are three things I have learned in my study of courage over the last few years:
- To Act Courageously is Different for Everyone.
I’ve mentioned this story before but it bears repeating here. After speaking to a group a couple of years ago I was approached by a lady who told me about a fear she was ready to face after my message. She was scared to death of escalators and her granddaughter loved to ride them. She spent the first Saturday of every month with her granddaughter at the Mall of America and the grandmother did everything she could to avoid going on the escalators. For her it was escalators, for you it might be swimming in a lake or trying a new food or whatever. Courage is different for everyone.
- Courage Involves Some Risk and There May Be a Price to be Paid.
If we are afraid of something there must be something to fear. Maybe it’s failure or success or looking foolish. Courage requires a price to be paid. I recently received an e-mail from someone who heard me speak a few months ago. This person was the executive director of a non-profit organization. After hearing my message they were challenged to confront a situation with the organizations board president. This had been going on for some time and was creating a difficult environment of which to be a part. This person ended up losing their job but said they were so glad they confronted the situation and was now able to sleep at night because of the courage they had to face the challenge.
- Being Courageous Makes You Bolder the Next Time.
When we face our fears we often find out there wasn’t much to fear at all. We find out that the exhilaration we feel when we take things head on far outweighs the fear we felt. We feel like we can take on just about anything. Maybe the next time we face a fear it doesn’t take us as long to put on our big boy/girl pants and get to work.
What is causing you some fear or anxiety today? What can you do to be courageous TODAY to become BOLDER tomorrow?
I welcome your comments and feedback! Feel free to share the post as well. Thanks!
Have a STRONG and COURAGEOUS day!