This is the tenth in our series on the 10 C’s to Building Momentum.
Before we talk about courage, let’s talk about its opposite twin, fear.
Think for a moment about three things you want to do or know you should be doing, but are not doing.
Now ask yourself why.
Chances are all the excuses you have in your mind right now are rooted in…fear.
Why don’t you start the business you’ve always dreamed of? You fear you don’t have the right education. You fear failure. You fear change.
Why don’t you develop a relationship with someone you know you should? You fear rejection.
Why don’t you lead? You fear the crowd. You fear no one will follow.
Congratulations! You are normal. Feeling fear and experiencing self-doubt when you approach any new endeavor is absolutely normal. But there comes a point where you have to face the fear head on and, with courage, move forward. Courage is not the absence of fear – not at all. Courage is feeling the fear and doing it anyway.
As you begin to apply courage step by step, you will gain momentum. With each application, you become stronger to face the next challenge.
I know someone who decided to face a huge fear and skydive. Now while I’m not advocating that everyone do that, it did have the effect of making anything after that (like starting a business) a lot less daunting. What if you took on your greatest fear and overcame it? How would that affect the other obstacles you encounter after that?
Be fearless, courageous, and relentless. Don’t be afraid to fail. As author John C. Maxwell says, “Fail forward.” You WILL make mistakes. You may face rejection. You may not know all that you need to know about something. Feel the fear, prepare all you can, then be courageous, and move forward. Success is very often just one step beyond fear and failure.
Have courage…take that step!
I love this Barbara! Thanks for sharing.
Wow! I just looked at my leadership calendar today and is about courage! What’s amazing is that its from John Maxwell. He echoed your statement and said “It’s doing what you are afraid to do”.
Thank you for the reminder and nudge to get moving!
Jasmine our lives and thoughts don’t line up by accident. Think about where you need to exercise courage and then “go for it” Thanks for reading.
Thanks Barbara. This is a timely reminder that is perfect for this season in my life.