People with courage have just as much fear as the next person. 

Osho explains it like this: “In the beginning there is not much difference between the coward and the courageous person. The only difference is, the coward listens to his fears and follows them, and the courageous person puts them aside and goes ahead. The courageous person goes into the unknown in spite of all his fears.” 

When you have courage, going into unknown, uncharted territory is an adventure. There is a thrill to it. Every fiber in your body begins to bristle. You feel so very much alive. 

To accept the challenge of the unknown in spite of all your fears is courage. 

You feel strong, you feel a sense of integrity, and you feel very, very sharp. Exchanging the familiar for the unfamiliar is an adrenaline rush on all levels. 

Courageous people are always seeking adventure in all that they do. But it isn’t just something you do – it’s a way of being. 

Isn’t Life One Big Adventure? 

Life is totally unpredictable isn’t it? We have no idea what will happen from one minute to the next. Despite our best efforts to plan, schedule, and organize, life is totally random on all levels. 

Yet, we’re taught to seek security and stability in order to feel safe and protected. 

Helen Keller wrote: “Security is mostly a superstition. It does not exist in nature, nor do the children of men as a whole experience it. Avoiding danger in the long run is no safer than outright exposure. Life is either a daring adventure, or nothing.” 

It’s interesting that we’re taught to seek out something that doesn’t exist. How can we ever find something that isn’t even there? 

Courage: Living From the Heart 

The word “courage” is also interesting. It comes from the Latin “cor” which means “of the heart.” To be courageous means to live from the heart. 

To live with courage means to embrace the known insecurity of life and live in it, with love and trust. Those who live with their head full of the known and seek safety and security cannot live life to the full. They can never be fully alive. 

The way forward for humanity is in listening to the heart consciously, alertly, and attentively, and to follow where it leads you. 

Will you make mistakes? Yes. Will you make errors of judgement? Yes. Will you have to start over from time to time? Of course. 

And in all that you do, you will learn, you will grow, your confidence and competence will rise, and you will become infinitely wiser because of it. 

Courage: Being Decisive 

Making mistakes is inevitable. It’s how we learn and develop experience. We just need to avoid making the same mistakes twice. That shows that we learned from the first time. 

There is nothing to be gained from being fearful or frightened, so it’s best to avoid wasting your time on it. 

Instead, head into the unknown. Be decisive and take action. If something doesn’t work, learn from that, make a new decision, and take a different action. The faster you go, the quicker you learn what’s right and what’s not. 

Courage thrives in a fast moving, decisive environment. 

Life itself thrives in a fast moving, decisive environment. If you want to live a memorable and exciting life, keep moving. 

Courage Helps You Avoid Anxiety 

You only need to ponder a problem long enough to understand it. Once you understand it, decide on a course of action and implement it without delay. 

Too many people spend too much time with worry. What is worry other than a form of anxiety about a problem that grows exponentially in proportion to the number of times you think about it? Even knowing that, most people suffer immeasurable anxiety on a daily basis. 

If you develop courage – courage to face a challenge, make a decision, take action, and resolve it – everything changes. 

You only need to think about a challenge long enough to understand it. Then make a decision about it and immediately take action on that decision. Any anxiety you may be suffering about your challenge evaporates in that moment. 

Live the Adventure 

Both in life and in business, fortune favors the courageous. Courage encourages us to live in the moment, to be alive. Not to dwell on the past or to waste time worrying about the future. 

Those who make a conscious effort to develop their courage will always live a vibrant, exciting, life. 

Life is nothing more than a collection of experiences. You have the choice of making them exciting, vibrant, memorable experiences or not. 

You have the choice of making a handful of experiences or countless thousands of experiences. 

Listen to your heart. What does your heart choose? 

Courage will ensure that you will live a most fulfilling life. You won’t get everything right. You’ll stumble and fall, but you won’t care about that because you will always rise, and your life will become a daring adventure – an exciting, vibrant, memorable adventure. 

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This world is filled with wonderful examples of courage. I see many people who bravely face difficult encounters. 

When I observe someone courageously facing a health challenge, I look on in awe. It is inspiring to see someone continue to enjoy life in the midst of poor health. 

Watching others hold their heads high during difficulties reminds me that my situation is resolvable. I avoid giving in to the hard times that I face. 

The soldiers that serve my country are the epitome of selflessness and fearlessness. I avoid taking their contributions for granted. Each time I feel intimidated by a personal battle, I think about the armed forces. 

Volunteering in deprived and depressed societies is a selfless sacrifice. It takes commitment to a cause to shift focus from my own feelings to the mission at hand. 

When I observe teachers educating kids in war-torn communities, I take my hat off to them. Their examples of bravery prove to me that very few challenges are unbeatable. 

The people who counteract fear with bravery are the ones who stimulate me. My experiences are more fulfilling when I take on the tough situations with resolution. 

Today, I believe that there is more to life than satisfying my own desires. I use examples of bravery to show me how to sacrifice for a cause. Each day gives me a chance to sharpen my boldness. 

Self-Reflection Questions: 

1. Who are some of the influential people whose bravery motivates me?
   
2. How do I regain my bravery after being defeated by fear?
   
3. How do I know which challenges to approach on my own versus with support?
   

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If you’re not actively pursuing your dreams, fear is likely to blame. Fear can stop you from taking the actions necessary to achieve success. 

Some people are experts at plowing through fears, while others could use a few tips. You’d be shocked by how much your life would change if you could just increase your courage by 10%! That’s all it takes. 

Courage creates action, which boosts your courage even higher. 

Follow these strategies to increase your courage and accomplish more: 

1. Visualize success. Fear comes from imagining the worst, so one solution is to imagine a positive outcome. It’s important to make the visualization as real as possible. Use all of your senses to create a realistic scene. Imagine how you’ll feel when you’re successful. 

• Do this regularly and it will make a difference. Employing this technique even one time can be enough to take the edge off your fear and allow you to act. 

2. Imagine your child is watching you. It’s easy to take the easy way out when you’re alone. Have you ever noticed that the presence of an audience can make you a little bolder? No one wants to lose face in front of their peers. 

• Now, imagine that your child is watching you. Who wants to be afraid in front of their own kid? No one! Tell yourself that you’re going to set a good example. Behave the way you’d want your child to behave. 

3. Call on your alter ego. You have multiple “personalities”. There’s the personality you use at work. There’s another personality you use with your friends. Another you use at home. And yet another you’d use at a job interview. 

• You can have a personality that is bold and brave. Become that person. Give him or her a backstory. Feel the way they would feel. Do what they would do. Just be that person. 

4. Ask yourself what a brave person would do. Ask yourself what a brave person would do and choose that course of action. Think of someone you know that’s brave and contemplate how they would handle the situation you’re in. If you know someone who is courageous, ask them what they would do if they were you. 

5. Imagine you only have a week left to live. If you knew you were done in a week, you wouldn’t be afraid of anything. You’d have a great perspective on life, and nothing could bother you. If you’re going to die soon, would you care what some stranger thought of you or your failure? Of course not. 

6. Focus on the regret you’ll feel if you fail to act. Instead of thinking about failure, think about the consequences of never trying. Regret is a painful pill to swallow. Give yourself the chance to be successful. The last thing anyone wants is to spend the latter part of life wondering “what if?” 

7. Change your physiology. Breathe deeply. Stand up straight. Look straight ahead. Stand the way an emperor would stand. Imagine yourself as the most successful and powerful person in history. How would you stand, breathe, and think? Do that. 

Is fear limiting your choices in life? What would you do if you were free of fear? Fortunately, you don’t have to eliminate your fear by 100% to see a drastic change in your life. It just takes a small boost in courage to get the ball rolling. 

When you’re faced with fear, try using one of these techniques and notice what happens. Take action and learn a new way of approaching the world – without fear! 

The post Avoid Letting Fear Beat You: 7 Ways to Boost Your Courage Instantly appeared first on DuckboardsAndStilts.com.

Your life would be a lot more interesting and rewarding if you could just be a little more fearless. Staying in your comfort zone is strangling your life. Just a tad more courage will help your self-esteem, too. 

You don’t have to just wish you were bolder, you can be bolder. There is a fearless person lurking inside of you! 

Use these ideas to build your bravery: 

1. Avoid worrying what others will think of you. Unless you can find a way to put yourself into the history books, it won’t be too long until there’s no one left that remembers you. So, what are you afraid of? 

2. Ask yourself, “What’s the worst that can happen?” Unless you’re in danger of falling to your death or losing a limb, there probably isn’t too much to worry about. When you’re feeling fearful, figure out the worst possible outcome. If you can live with that, there’s nothing to worry about. 

3. Deal with smaller stressors and fears. The key to managing big fears is to deal with the smaller ones. Your mind will become accustomed to your new patterns of thought and action. Plus, the skill and confidence you gain by overcoming smaller fears will give you the ability to dominate larger ones.

4. Learn to relax. The best way to overcome a fear reaction is to relax. You can train yourself to automatically relax when you first feel fear.Relax your muscles, think peaceful thoughts, and breathe deeply. Again, practice with smaller upsets first. 

5. Play the odds. How many of your fears actually come true? Some studies suggest the number is about 20%. So, there’s an 80% chance your fears won’t come true. If you can deal with the worst possible outcome, and there’s only a 20% chance it will even happen, you have little to worry about. 

6. Realize that fear only happens between your ears. Almost all fears are unique. You might be afraid of snakes, but your friend isn’t. You might be afraid of heights, but your sister finds them exhilarating. In most instances, you are the source of your fear. 

7. Focus on the positive possibilities. Rather than thinking about every little thing that might go wrong, consider what might go right. Allow yourself to feel excited about the possibilities. Imagine how much more exciting your life would be if you give yourself the chance to have something amazing happen each day! 

8. View fear as a challenge.Think of fear as the beginning of a game. See if you can get yourself to take an action that makes you afraid when you think about doing it. Of course, be smart and challenge yourself to do things that can actually improve your life. 

You can live a fearless life and experience many more rewarding adventures than you do now. Your fears are manufactured inside your head. You can let them go and be bold. 

Start today by doing something you’ve always wanted to do but didn’t quite have enough courage. Just relax and do it. Show yourself that there’s nothing to fear. 

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