50 Everyday Acts of Courage to Thrive in Work, Love, and Life
Let’s begin with a story. When the author’s son Ben was turning 13, she asked him what he wanted to do. “Skyjumping!” came the somewhat overexcited response.
Now, as a parent, she had every right to be scared. And Ben was scared too when he realized what he’d signed himself up for. But jump he did. After the event, the author got to thinking. The fact that he’d overcome his fear and still managed the jump was clearly beneficial for his personal development.
There’s a general lesson here. If you take action – despite your fears – you’ll become a stronger person.
The trick is not to shy away from things that scare you. Every time you face your fears, you will, in effect, be strengthening your courage muscles.
Now, of course, you needn’t go jumping immediately into a shark tank or throwing yourself out of a plane. There are less dramatic ways to increase your courage and bravery levels.
For example, if you’re a bit socially awkward or not so handy in the kitchen, then having a few friends over for dinner is a good way to start. Or if you’re worried about appearing vulnerable, perhaps sharing a personal struggle with a friend is the place to begin.
A key way to build up confidence and strength is to be aware of when you’re letting fear govern you. So every time you notice that you’re avoiding doing something – whether through fear of failure or of rejection – note it down. That way you can gradually improve. Start out small and work your way up to bigger challenges.
Another critical aspect to facing your fears is not to dilly-dally. You have to act practically, and you have to act now. So, have a think about what you’d really like to do in the next few months if you really felt brave. Then break down and nuance the fears you associate with each challenge.
For example, you may be afraid to speak in public. But if you go deeper, you’ll realize it’s not simply the speaking that gives you the jitters. It may be that you’re afraid of failing or of others judging you.
Now do some positive thinking. How do you imagine a successful speech looking? How would you feel, and what would you learn? Most likely you’d feel satisfied, proud and confident.
This process of imagining success is an important one. It will help you get to grips with the benefits of moving out of your comfort zone. It will also assist in prompting you to make the move and face your fears.
This kind of thinking is a great start, but sometimes what you need is a little inspiration. Let’s look at an example now.
Brave (2015) details the actions that anyone can take to become braver in daily life. In doing so, it breaks apart social interactions and the norms that prevent individuals from acting more courageously. These blinks show how fear stops people from living to their full potential and supplies the tools for becoming braver and learning how to thrive.
Wearing a mask can feel safe, but worn for too long it can make us a stranger to ourselves.
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Blink 3 von 12 - Eine kurze Geschichte der Menschheit
von Yuval Noah Harari
