The longer I write and speak about fear and courage the more I see them play out in our lives every day.
Watch any drama tv show or movie and the plot will involve someone being afraid of something. As the movie progresses you’ll observe the characters avoiding, blaming, procrastinating, or waiting for the right time to keep from having to deal with their fear. As the movie or show nears its climax the main character chooses to act courageously and all is right with the world.
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 several 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. Fear also requires a price. I strongly contend the price of choosing fear is far greater than the price of choosing courage. Recently I had to have a difficult conversation with a friend. I wanted to put it off for a day or two but I knew if I did I wouldn’t sleep. I had the conversation that day and got it over with. As I went to be that night I thought about how I would be dreading the next day if I hadn’t spoken with him. Because I faced it right away I slept well.
- 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. Even when things don’t turn out as we’d hoped there is a sense of satisfaction for having stepped into our fear. Remaining in our fear keeps us chained to an uncertain and unknown outcome.
What is causing you some fear or anxiety today? What can you do to be courageous TODAY to become BOLDER tomorrow?
Have a STRONG and COURAGEOUS day!
Do you need a speaker for an upcoming event? I’d love to be that guy. You can reach me at dave@cultivatecourage.com or 952-200-7499.
You can now buy the book “Cultivate Courage” on Amazon! https://amzn.to/2zTaE4B
This is an updated post that originally ran on May 14, 2014
