Advantages of courages

ou will never do anything without courage. It is the greatest quality of the mind next to honor,” Aristotle. When I first saw courage as a skill, I immediately thought of this quote. I thought to myself that courage is needed in almost everything that we do in this world. It is defined as the ability to uphold one’s values, even when making difficult decisions and taking purposeful actions. Courage is needed to advocate for others and oneself, have difficult discussions and especially to forgive people who have hurt us. It is needed in day to day life to pursue our dreams, hopes and ambitions.

Courage is often associated with being fearless and dramatic. However, it can sometimes look like quiet perseverance. This refers to maintaining your focus on your goals even in the face of setbacks. It can simply mean the courage to get out of bed in the morning and show up to where you are needed, although you feel emotionally drained, exhausted and inept. This in itself takes great effort, courage and strength.

In order to do this, however, we may sometimes need to tap into our capacity for courage. That is, ways to feel more courageous.

Here are three ways that I’ve found helpful when I needed to build my courage:

Visualize myself as courageous- I tend to journal acts of courage that I performed in the past. For instance, speaking to large crowds or standing up for others. Creating a past inventory of courageous personal actions, no matter how small, tends to give me a psychological boost and helps inspire me.

Step out of comfort zones- Engaging in activities that may be out of my comfort zone can build self-confidence and decrease fear associated with the activity. I started to do that at school to find the path I want to take in my life.

Clarify my values- Courage is easier to see in others than yourself. However, when we clarify our values, that is, what we stand for and what is important for ourselves, we may feel more capable of feeling more courageous and face what’s ahead despite the pangs of fear and anxiety. With courage, we can try to solve our issues and bad situation. 

Let’s explore some open reflective questions. You are welcome to answer any or both:

 What is one courageous action (no matter how small) you’ve taken recently?

 What is one way you’ve found helpful when you needed to tap into your capacity for courage?