Bravery isn’t only for people we think of as heroes—those who save lives or climb the highest mountain they can find.
It’s also needed for everyday life, for those times when we stretch to express a strength and a courage we didn’t know we had. It’s a resource we draw on whenever we stand up to deal with a crisis, take action to better our lives or to stand up for our opinions and for others.
Bravery is often needed to meet the challenges of creating change in our lives. It can be nerve wracking to interview for a bigger job than we’ve had in the past. It can be challenging to start exercising, start your own business, speak in public or end a relationship.
Common life scenarios can feel risky and scary to commit to which is why bravery is required.
Stepping out of our comfort zone can be scary at times, the unknown and unfamiliar will often leave people a bit anxious. After all, when we do stay where we’ve always been, there’s much less chance of making a mistake or feeling we’ve failed. Even though change can bring real growth and aliveness, it also takes courage.
The moment we choose growth over the familiar, we’ve gone out on a limb. We’ve set our bravery into motion.
Being brave can be the door to a new beginning. It raises our adrenaline and gives us a sense of excitement to explore new skills and interests, new places, new relationships. It’s a way of saying to ourselves ‘I believe in you’. It can also be a way of saying ‘Yes’ to a greater vision of ourselves.
Finding the courage to take action despite our fears is in itself is a real moment of growth no matter the outcome. It tells us we are capable of exploring and taking a chance for the betterment of our own lives.
In being brave, it’s natural to feel out of your comfort zone and you may feel a sense of “lack of support” in approaching the unfamiliar. You may even question whether you’ve got the strength to deal with this new stress / situation and this is exactly the time to tap in to the many resources which can help you process and deal with the new challenge of being brave.
The support of friends, a life coach, therapist or a support group can be invaluable during these times. They will have an objectivity about your situation that you may lack at first. They can also remind you of your own strength and resiliency.
3 Questions to ask yourself to help you feel brave and ready to face new situations
The Coaching Academy was established in 1999, and is now the world's largest coaching school.
In that time we have trained over 14,000 people to become life coaches.
We are accredited by the International Coach Federation and the Association for Coaching, and we're rated 4.8 out of 5 on Trustpilot.
