Be Brave: The Little Book of Courage

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Your own happiness and fulfillment are significantly affected by courage. When you act in alignment with your values, you tend to be happier and more satisfied—so the courage to stand up for what you believe is worth cultivating.

Not only does this lead you to focus on destructive thoughts which are going to make you feel less able to succeed, but it also keeps you from taking action by making you afraid, more afraid than you were at the beginning. Simply changing your response and pushing yourself out of your comfort zone is a big act of courage. It doesn’t mean that you have to feel comfortable or actually want to go, but at least you tried, and that’s what will lead you to immense personal growth. 3. Set IntentionsHere is a great quote from Osho, which says that the more you’ve experienced in life, the more emotionally mature you’ve become: Is this the right thing to do? The right thing isn't always the easiest, nor the most popular. Rely on your conscience to help you decide. How do I know that my actions will have an effect? How can I be sure that they will not do any harm? Yes, in emergency situations, we can be instinctively brave. Our brains take over, flooding our bodies with chemicals like adrenaline that see us be heroes.

It’s never been about making the fear disappear; you take the fear for what it is and turn it into something that you can manage. Courage can also enhance your credibility and relationships. People respect and appreciate those who have clear convictions and who take action on them. In addition, when you do the right thing, the positive effects are likely to impact not just you, but others around you and this can build relationships and contribute to the broader community. When you learn how to live courageously, you’ll realize how much you were missing out on because fear was getting in the way. 6. Practice mindfulnessKnow the situation. Classic business systems (think: Failure Mode and Effects Analysis) require you to assess the likelihood of failure and the potential negative effects. For actions that aren’t likely to succeed, and which may have potentially damaging effects, you’ll want to ensure you have contingency plans in place. Stay informed about potential risks and know the downsides involved in your choices. Your own awareness is part of your resilience. When you’re in the know, you can make sense of things, improvise and solve problems. Be intentional about your responses. Clarity and smart choices will contribute to your courage, but also to your successful outcomes. That’s why the first step to bravery is to accept that you are afraid and then dig into the root cause of your fear. Why does that situation make you afraid? For example, perhaps you've always had a paralyzing fear of public speaking. You can use a technique like the "five whys" technique to get down to the true cause of your apprehension. It's as simple as asking "why?" five times in a row. Here's an example: