Develop the Courage to do What it Takes

Aristotle once said that fear is pain arising from anticipation. Fear breeds lack of experience, lack of experience breeds ignorance and ignorance breeds more fear. It is a vicious circle summed up so well in the acronym: False Evidence Appearing Real. The problem is that we seldom do the thing we fear that we never discover if our anticipation was accurate. Responsibility and courage go hand in hand. To take charge of your life involves accepting self-responsibility. This means accepting that everything that you are or ever will be is completely up to you and you alone. 

However, it is not until something drastic happens that we are forced out if our comfort zones or safe harbors and made to look at our lives in a different way. Strangely enough the greater the crisis, the greater seems to be the opportunity. Everyone must cut his or her teeth on some form of experience. It is not the crisis or adversity that is the problem; it is the way you react to it that is the problem. Whatever you fear address the situation that causes it.

“Courage faces fear and thereby masters it.”

                                                - Martin Luther King, Jr.

One way to develop your confidence and courage is to become part of a cause that makes you feel good about yourself. Resolve to find your life’s specific purpose and the courage to remove all the obstacles that are preventing you from fulfilling it. Each of us is put on this earth to find our true purpose in life and it is found by following our heart's desire. I believe that when you know your life’s purpose it gives you a feeling that you are living for something important, worthwhile, and noble. When you are aligned to your purpose you conquer all obstacles in spite of their number and/or size.

However, many people are waiting to become courageous before they begin to do what they want. The question is how and when? Courage comes from experiencing the thing that worries you. Only by doing what it takes will you develop the courage required. Courage is not the absence of fear; it is the wisdom to act in spite of the fear. Moreover, many people discourage themselves and impede their progress more than anyone else because they constantly give themselves reasons why they cannot do what they want instead of the reasons why they can.

To solve this problem, discipline yourself to only talk positively never negatively. Too many of us spend more time criticizing ourselves and others than we do praising and more time remembering what we did wrong instead of what we did right. Look for the good not the bad. Moreover, never say “I can’t do it because I don’t know how to do it. Start doing it and you’ll learn how to do it in the doing of it.

“You cannot be wimpy out there on the dream seeking trail. Dare to break through barriers, to find your own path.”

                                                                    - Les Brown

It is worth noting that the willingness to do creates the courage to do. Each time when I needed the courage to do something, I found that the best way was to do it anyway. Your plan has shown you what you need to do so start doing it! Just by simply starting to do what you have planned will create an ability to do which will increase your confidence and courage. So whatever it is, just begin doing it. Do the thing and you’ll have the power as Emerson puts it.

Daily Activity

1. Make a list of the things you are afraid to do. For example, if you are afraid of public speaking you can write it like this “I am afraid to speak in public”, then restate it as “I want to speak in public but I scare myself by imagining that I’ll forget what I want to say” or something similar. 

2. Identify the images keep in your mind each time you think about doing the “scary” thing you want to do, and then replace that image with its positive opposite. 

3. Take a moment to ponder over this question. How will you feel if you never experience what you are afraid of? Write down your answers and start acting as if you feel this way today. These are the positive feelings you should encourage, so focus on them instead.

The Bottom Line

Fear exists only in the mind. In order to be courageous and step out to do the things that will bring you one step closer to making your goals, dreams, and visions a reality you need to face your fears. When you do the thing you fear you conquer it and this develops the courage and confidence to do even more. Also, always remember that courage is doing what you are afraid to do and there can be no courage unless you are scared.

Gerard L. Ndzebir