WHAT is courage, exactly?
Well, according to the dictionary, it’s “the mental or moral
strength to venture, persevere, and withstand danger, fear or difficulty”.
 |
| Do you have the courage that you need? |
The Courageous Greats
Throughout history, everyone who achieved the impossible has
been courageous. Martin Luther King had it to stand up for equal rights in the
1960s.
Billy Graham had it to take God’s message into totalitarian
dictatorships like Communist Russia, Eastern Europe and North Korea.
Ronald Reagan needed it to call the Soviet Union an “Evil
Empire” and demand that Gorbachev “tear down this wall.”
Alexander the Great could not have conquered two million
square miles of the planet without it.
And let’s face it: we look up to those people who have the
guts to venture into the unknown and persevere.
We admire leaders and visionaries – people who have the
audacity to do what most people don’t even think is possible.
It’s the feeling that we have when we watch movies like Braveheart,
Lean on Me, 300, Men of Honor and Rocky. Human beings admire those
who are brave.
But How Do I Get It?
Do some people have more courage than others? The
answer is ‘Yes’. But they aren’t just born with it. They develop it.
Just like we strengthen the muscles in our body by putting
them to use, you can strengthen your “courage muscle” by putting yourself into
situations that require endurance.
The more you use those guts you are born with, the more you
develop your “muscle”.
And you’re probably using your muscle more than you think.
Here are some things that take guts in everyday life:
* Talking to that
guy/girl who you really liked when you were afraid he/she might reject you
* Asking the love of your life to marry you
* Deciding to have kids
* Leaving your job to start something new
* Moving your family to a new state or even a new country
* Sharing your faith with someone
* Sharing your opinion about politics with a group
* Starting your own business
* Deciding to write a book
The enemy of bravery is fear, and despite what you may
believe, everyone feels fear sometimes.
The days when you question your capacity to finish what you
started, and the days when you don’t know what to do next, that’s fear talking.
The secret to being more courageous than
fearful is to anticipate the fear. Know that fear will show its ugly head
and consume you with doubt, worry, and negative thoughts.
However, remember that most fear is irrational, and if you
stare down the fear right in the face, you will always persevere.
There are two types of people in the world – those who wait
and those who do. Those who wait are usually held back by fear, and those who do
are brave enough to overcome fear.
If you’re always putting things off and making excuses,
you’re always going to be consumed by fear.
If you’re out there taking chances and putting it on the
line despite what others think, you’ll always make it.
The Takeaway
People have come up to me and said, “But Patrick, I don’t
have courage like you do”. That’s where they’re wrong. The list above
should show you that you have more than you think.
In order for you to take it to the next level, you need to
put yourself in situations that take you out of your comfort zone.
We are all born with it. It is there inside for us to
access, but we have to actively reach for it. It is simply is a must for those
who want to do the impossible.
Patrick Bet-David is an entrepreneur, author and
self-made success who emigrated from war-torn Iran to the U.S. and has made
financial literacy his personal crusade.
He is the founder and CEO of People Helping People (PHP), as well
as author of Doing The Impossible: The 25 Laws for Doing The
Impossible.
This feature was previously published on http://inspiyr.com/
Article source: http://tiny.cc/j0bqby
No comments:
Post a Comment