Courage is a quality that is available to us all. It can help us to grow, push through our fears and doubts and go after the things we want. When we’re courageous we can feel more confident in pursuing our skills, passions and purpose which acts as our guiding force to create a life we love!
If you want to cultivate the courage to do anything, below are 5 ways to get started:
1. Spend time with those who walk their talk
Opt to spend more time around people who exhibit the courage to create change in their lives and walk their talk Vs those who always complain or refuse to take action. When you choose to surround yourself with change-makers who are brave enough to live in their truth, you’re provided with a dose of inspiration to live more courageously and give yourself permission to do the same.
2. Surround yourself with inspiration
When we choose to fill our cup with positivity not only does it boost our mood it can also help to override any feelings of fear. To inject more inspiration into your routine you could read autobiographies of people who inspire you. A great book I’ve read is ‘Black, White & Gold’ written by Dame Kelly Holmes, As an Olympic double gold medallist, founder of the Dame Kelly Holmes trust charity and business woman Kelly is a great example of someone who continually inspires me. As well as reading inspirational books you can also watch films that motivate you to take action, a film I recently watched and really enjoyed is ‘Joy’ starring Jennifer Lawrence and Robert Di Niro, the film is an incredible story about entrepreneurial spirit in action and the importance of never giving up. You can also choose to fill your social media feeds with people who are like-minded and motivate you. When we’re feeling good about ourselves we’re more likely to be more courageous.
What people, books and films inspire you?
3. Make with peace with self-doubt
Having moments of self-doubt doesn’t translate to an inability to be courageous. When we choose to move in a new direction or step out of our comfort zone it can be common for self-doubt to make an appearance. Writing a list of your achievements and skills and keeping this list close to hand for any moments of self-doubt can be a great way to counteract any negative or fearful thoughts which can help you to reclaim your power! It would be really easy to read and skip this section so how about writing a list now?
3. Step out of your comfort zone
Often, what can keep us in our comfort zone is usually the thought of facing our fears. My friend and Coaching Academy student Ryan Molloy recently completed a stand-up comedy course and performed his first live show, which I had the pleasure of attending. As a West End and Broadway star, being on stage isn’t new to Ryan but performing a stand-up comedy routine was something that took him way out of his comfort zone. I really respected Ryan for taking that type of plunge and was so impressed watching him give such an outstanding performance. I thought to myself “Good on you Ryan, that took courage”. But it also posed a question to me as I thought “if you can do that, am I pushing MY boundaries enough?” I know that Choosing to step out of your comfort zone by taking smaller steps can help you pluck up the courage to take even bigger ones….but I wonder…what steps will YOU take in the coming weeks?
4. Make failure your friend
Having a fear of failure can hold many people back from going after what they want, learning to reframe it with statements such as ‘there is no such thing as failure only feedback’ can help you to strengthen your courage to see failure from a new perspective. Some of the most successful people such as Richard Branson and Henry Ford failed countless times before they reached a breakthrough; instead of shying away from the thought of failure they allowed themselves to accept it as a part of their progress. When you choose to make failure your friend by looking at it as a lesson in what doesn’t work it strengthens your courage muscles to dust yourself off and keep moving.
Each of us is capable of creating a life we truly love. When we choose courage over fear or self-doubt we give ourselves the best opportunity to build a bridge from desire to reality allowing us to attain soul-radiating happiness!
What books, films and people inspire you? What techniques do you use to enhance your courage? I’d love to know in the comments below!
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