Exhibiting Courage

Courage is something that we commonly reserve for soldiers, firefighters, and police officers. We often refer to people acting "courageously in the line of duty". These individuals are esteemed because they risk for the benefit of others. This is a class of people who deserve the attention. However, they do not have a monopoly on courage.

Many think courage is the absence of fear. It is not. Mark Twain may have summed it up best when he penned:

"Courage is resistance to fear, mastery of fear - not absence of fear."

Each of us needs to exhibit courage in our daily lives. Fear is something that affects all of us. However, those who succeed are able to take action in spire of the fear. They exhibit some courage by "doing it anyway". The unsuccessful allow themselves to be paralyzed by fear. Their action is stifled because the fear controls them.

Sadly, courage is something that is rarely talked about in our society. Instead, we are presented with an image that we are weak if we allow fear to enter into our minds. It is a fact that everyone experiences fear. The trick is to realize where it resides. Many think of it as a feeling which it can be since it manifests itself in that way. Nevertheless, it is vital to remember that fear, like everything else, starts in the mind. Our lives are nothing more than mental exercises. Everything we experience first started as a thought.

This insight is helpful in overcoming fear. Courage is something that we create in our minds also. To overcome fear, we simply have to picture the payoff of the action being greater than the expense of succumbing to the fear. For many, this is almost impossible since they are so conditioned to giving into the fear. After years of settling, people begin to rationalize why they cannot take action. These "excuses" serve as justification for continuing along the same path without change. Of course, this is only reinforced by society since fear is used by all promoters of dogma.

Security is an illusion. Many settle for things in their life because they believe in this fallacy. The truth is that nothing is secure in life. Life is a dynamic entity; it is not static. Things change in an instant. People often take things for granted until their world is suddenly cast in a much different light. Look at how lives are altered by car crashes, hurricanes, and disease. These are just a few examples which take security and toss it out the window.

Therefore, we need to look at our fears. Why do we have a fear of financial insecurity? Of public speaking? Of humiliation? Of failure? Of being ostracized by friends or family? Many of these same thoughts pass through the minds of everyone. However, those who are able to overcome these things are the ones who excel. In short, they act courageously in the face of their fears.

Keep these ideas at the forefront of your mind when you start to see yourself succumbing to fear. Naturally, those situations where we are in extreme personal danger are to be avoided and the times when listing to that inner voice is helpful. However, in our daily lives, few of us encounter such extreme decisions. Instead, we face situations where one of the above-mentioned fears (or a host of others) get in the way of our progress in those areas that are important to us. We seek the security that comes from inactivity only to later realize that it does not exist. Ultimately, we always pay the price for listening to our fears.

Courage is required if we are to avoid the state of stagnation. Paralysis from fear is something that comes from repetition. We see this in people who allowed this cancer to control their lives for decades. These same people often completely shut down. They usually are inept at making decisions since that muscle was not exercised. Their rationalization for life is in high gear always justifying the lack of progress. Plus they blame everyone else for their ills. Yet, when a person of this sort looks back over his or her life, the truth is realized. Fear won over and over.

In closing, just remember we all will meet the end someday. Do you want to be one who looks back and notices all the missed opportunities because of the succumbing to fear? Or will you be a person who knows you gave it your best in all situations? The choice comes is yours.

Choose wisely.

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No Fear

How differently would your life be if fear did not exist? Or better yet, have you ever seen those people who were not scared of anything? They seem willing to try anything. There is not a person who they would not go and talk to. Everything appears to come easy to them. They are always surrounded by a group of people. My, how we look at them with envy.

The question is "are they really any different from you?". In most ways, no. However, there is one facet that separates them from you: fear makes your decisions. That is it. You continually give in to the fear while others walk though it.

For the most part, fear is a figment of your imagination. There are those situations where it is an ally where one is physically in danger. Nevertheless, few of us face life or death circumstances on a daily basis. In reality, fear is a creation of our mind meant to avoid change. The mind abhors uncertainty. If it can maintain the status quo, that provides a level of certainty. Taking action means there is a degree of uncertainty over the results that will be gotten. This is what the minds seeks to avoid.

Think of the things that you fear. What needs to happen for you to be scared? To start, you must project. What this means is that your mind looks to a point in the future. In addition, the mind will also look at the future point in time in the negative context. Whatever the decision that you are faced with is, the mind "sees" you failing. This causes the anxiety associated with fear. Hence, we fail to take the action.

Let us use skydiving as an example. When you think of engaging in this activity, what scares you about it? Most likely the idea of hitting the ground from a great height when the parachute fails to open is high on the list. Yet, of all the people who go skydiving, how many does this happen to? Very few. The idea that you will die by skydiving is unrealistic. Your chances statistically are better of meeting your demise in an auto accident. Nevertheless, more people drive than jump out of airplanes.

Do you see how fear precludes us from taking action. Our projection over a situation is always negative. Rarely do we picture the situation happening to the positive. Let us use the example of asking someone out. How often do we see one fail to approach another because of the fear of being rejected? For this to happen, what occurred in the person's mind? Simply, he "saw" himself asking her out and her rejecting him. Never does it enter into his mind that she might say yes to his offer.

This is a fundamental part of the thought process. Gaining control over this single trait will instantly change your life. Fear is a terrible ruler and that is what it does, controls your life. Begin to be one who lives without fear. How do you do this? Start by acknowledging that it does not exist anywhere but in your mind. Also, understand most of what you fear is an illusion. It is impossible to know how a situation will turn out. Finally, when projecting, think of how everything will work to your advantage. See yourself succeeding in that particular circumstance and you will. It is the basis for all manifestation.

Become one of those who lives without fear. It is the foundation for living in freedom.
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Courage Is Crucial

The easiest thing to do in life is to exist at whatever level you are presently operating at.  Change is something that is difficult for most people to embrace.  To successfully do this requires the courage to step out of one's comfort zone into the unknown.  This is a concept which is more than most can handle.

How can I make this assertion?  Simple, most lead lives they are unhappy with.  I see so many settling for less than they truly desire.  They lack the courage to risk failure when they go after what they really want.  This is something that society trains us to do.  We are taught the "safe" route is the way to go. Sadly, it is also the path that leads to unhappiness.

If you are going to alter your life, it is going to take a great deal of courage.  Changing requires a bit of risk taking.  When you undertake something like this, you expose yourself to the ridicule of other people.  Often, this comes from those who are closest to us.  Those who have our "best interest" at heart are usually the ones who crush our dreams.  They tell us to "be realistic" and get something that is safe.

The events over the past few months teach us that safety is an illusion.  When it comes to investing, the buy and hold theory is considered the safest approach.  Proponents told us to find quality companies and hold them for decades.  Over time, if we reinvest the dividends, we would realize a healthy return.  All gains realized over the past 15 years were wiped out in a matter of a couple of months.  So much for the safety route.

We see the same situation with careers.  People who chose solid companies to work for are now losing their jobs in record numbers.  Their safety was an illusion.  Let us take the automobile industry.  Unions are considered the safe route.  Unfortunately, a union contract is worthless if the company goes out of business.  The UAW is just as panicky as management within the Big Three.  Millions are facing the loss of employment.

Safety is an illusion.  It does not exist.  Life is a risk.  That is where success comes from.  There will be times when you will fall flat on your face.  Over the next 12 months, we are going to encounter many challenges in our pursuit of change.  Altering your life is not something for the faint.  It takes courage to do this.  However, the payoff is beyond comprehension.  It is where we realize freedom.

We start to develop courage by moving forward in spite of what goes on in our head.  Often we are consummed by fear.  This is okay as long as we do not allow it to stop us.  Courage is not the absence of fear, rather, it is the taking of action in spire of the fear being present.   This is what the courageous do: they take action.  The fearful procrastinate.  Become one who exemplifies courage by taking action.  

Here is an exercise you can do immediately:  Make a list of 3-5 things that you are putting off doing. Write them on a piece of paper and resolve to complete them before you go to bed tonight. This single act put you into the courage area.  It might not feel like any big deal but it is.  Taking action is the single hardest thing for the unsuccessful to do because it requires courage.  Do this and watch your courage expand.

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Courage

Courage is a central part of all success.

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The Courage To Be Great

How would you like to have the fairy tale life that only comes from greatness? Many like the idea when it is presented to them. However, few are willing to do anything about it. They prefer to use excuses as a reason why success is not possible. It is far easier to blame other people for one's failures then to take responsibility for the direction of one's life. This is the situation that the majority of people find themselves in.

The thing that stops most people is fear. It takes courage to be great. Consider anyone who attained any degree of greatness in any field. That person exposed himself or herself to many things. First, criticism is something that anyone who is chasing after a dream encounters. There are many critics who love nothing more than to tear others down. Actors are told how bad their movies are. Writers pen how a certain athlete is terrible even though he or she is one of the best in the world. In addition, people are always willing to second guess one. There is some "Monday morning quarterback" in everyone. Yet, once again, these are the people who are on the sidelines.

The bottom line is that it takes courage to be great. When one decides to make something of life, there is a process of overcoming a lot of fear. Many self help writers will begin by telling one to find his or her passion. This is the starting point of greatness. I take exception with this belief. One begins the quest for greatness by first deciding if he or she wants it. In addition, one must be willing to accept all that goes along with that. You can be passionate about something to the nth degree. However, if you are not willing to overcome the criticism and challenges that go along with excelling at the highest level, failure is almost certain. Jealousy is a powerful trait. There are many who are waiting to tear you down the moment you begin to enjoy some success. Understanding this will help you in your quest.

Decide today that you want greatness. There is no reason to settle for mediocrity. You can attain the highest level of love, satisfaction, and success. It all starts with the decision to make this your goal.
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Courage

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