There is a secret weapon that will help you live an outstanding life every single day, and that is courage.
Because you are reading this, you are someone who demands more from themselves.
You are always looking for ways to increase your happiness, health and productivity. And there are a ton of
time management skills and life hacks that can help you.
In this post, I am going to show you how to become the most courageous version of yourself.
If we look at something we are all familiar with, it will help you understand how you can build courage. How about those feelings in your body when you get back into the gym after a prolonged
break?
No one doubts that getting back into shape is hard, we all know how hard it is. It seems like it takes years to get in shape and only days to lose it.
The simple act of putting on your workout gear seems a significant accomplishment. As you put your gear on and head out the door, your mind yells at you to stop and go back.
Your body cries
When you finally get to the gym, your body cries at your first steps on the treadmill, at the first revolution of the bike pedals or the first repetition with a weight. Within minutes you’re exhausted.
You are sweating, gasping for air and your face is turning red.
I understand, trust me. Attempting to get in shape is such a massive challenge because every single exercise is so bloody hard when you are first starting.
Do you know what I find the hardest?
Knowing that I used to be able to lift that weight with ease, run on that treadmill for miles and hold that plank for more than 10 seconds without my core
begging me to stop.
Each one of us can recall a time when these exercises didn’t feel as painful. A time when we were in better shape because we were consistent with our exercise habit.
The good news
The good news I want you to focus on is that whatever your level of fitness, you can get stronger through regular workouts.
The skill of courage is just like your physical muscles. It will only improve through practice, through exercising it.
It is not a trait that some people are born with and if you not, then you will never have it.
I think of courage as the ability to take action in the face of fear, self-doubt, uncertainty, and overthinking.
Courage is is an ability just like lifting a heavy dumbbell to exercise your bicep is an ability. You increase your strength by pushing yourself, and you grow your courage through consistent acts of
courage.
At first, it is hard to take that step and perform a courageous action. It is just like that first day back at the gym.
Flex your courage muscle
As you push yourself to exercise your courage muscle, a peculiar thing happens. Every time you flex your courage muscle, then taking courageous action becomes that much easier.
Each and every time you push yourself to step outside your comfort zone, to speak up for your needs, to take on the challenge in front of you, then you complete a courage work out.
Consistent courage workouts lead to a strong courage muscle, and that is when being courageous becomes a habit.
In those moments, when you face up to fear, hesitation, and self-doubt, you can push past those feelings with these.
When your courage muscle is strong, you control your emotions rather than your feelings controlling you.
When you hit the gym consistently for a few weeks, you get stronger and exercising becomes to feel automatic.
Unsurprisingly, your courage muscle works in precisely the same way.
Your muscles atrophy
When you stop exercising them, your muscles will waste away. Your physical and courage muscles will atrophy.
There are health professionals upon and down the country, recommending daily exercise for your health.
And I agree. I also recommend exercising your courage muscle too.
It is in those moments when you push through hesitation by taking courageous action that you can change your life.
When you take control of a challenging situation with an act of courage, you refuse to default to fear any more.
In moments of hesitation, those times when feelings of doubt and fear and worry creep in, you have a critical opportunity.
It is an opportunity for you to practice an act of everyday courage.
Where once you needed to push yourself to overcome hesitation, you will now find it to be second nature to you to push past those barriers with courage.
Are you ready to push past your feelings of doubt, fear, and worry and practice an act of everyday courage so you can live an outstanding life?