Courage is not the lack of fear, it is deciding to do something despite fear or uncertainty.
When you become brave enough to start living, you come alive!
How many years have gone by without your same dreams and desires being fulfilled year after year? How many times have you told yourself that you were going to quit a bad habit or start a new good habit? When you leave things for tomorrow, you are dead for today.
People may wish to wait for ideal conditions before proceeding towards the life of their dreams. The excuses for not doing the things that will produce the person you want to become are endless, but the end result of doing nothing can be summed up in one word: nothing. When you don’t do the things that will produce a better life or help you become a better person, you stay stuck where you are, similar to a person who is in a coffin but is still breathing.
Wishing, daydreaming or just talking about a better life doesn’t work. You may be saying, “This information is too obvious and elementary for my level of thinking. I’ve known these things since I was a kid. Why would I want to share them in your popular newsletter?” The answer is simple: “It doesn’t matter if you know something, it is much more important whether or not you are applying what you know.”
Many brilliant people, who have gained a great deal of knowledge on a variety of subjects, do not apply what they know. Many people have shared their dreams and goals with me saying, “Someday I want…” Well, we both know that day will probably never come. In fact, people who are going somewhere in life rarely share their dreams and goals with others. Successful people are so busy creating the life of their dreams that they are too busy to just talk about it.
We are fast approaching the close of 2006. How did this year compare to your intentions and resolutions in January? Did you earn more money? Did you lose that weight? Did you improve or change your relationship to be more in line with what you want? Did you really improve that much and make significant progress towards your dream life?
Well, if you didn’t progress, don’t be discouraged because most of the people in the world are on your team. Only two percent of the population in any industrialized nation works seriously toward goals; apply action steps; and live with enough structure to make significant improvements toward what they want. In other words, most people physically walk, talk and breathe, but are mentally and spiritually dead.
The sad part of anyone’s life is that you can really create whatever you want, but you have to be brave enough to do it. If you look at successful people in any field, you’ll find that they’re usually not the smartest; the most educated; or most of anything that is not brave enough to face life, decisions and actions that will produce the results they want.
The good news is that courage is not something that is developed or acquired, it is a decision that a person makes regardless of limiting circumstances.
What if you did what you know should be done, whether you wanted to or not, and you thought you could do it? The answer is: “You would succeed.” I am not going to say that it would be easy and you would not face failure or hardship, but I am saying that success will eventually come to anyone who is brave enough to make a decision, act and continue in the face of restrictions.
We can get an important lesson from the full-length movie, “The Wizard of Oz.” Remember what the Wizard of Oz said to each of the characters, “…you had it all along…” The same goes for your potential and the things you want. My favorite character was always the cowardly lion because he reminded me of many people with a good heart (tin man) and sound mind (scarecrow). Although many well-intentioned people are smart enough to dream of what they want, they lack the courage (lion) to ever create it. The big news is: “You had courage all along.”
Courage is not something you learn or buy, it is a decision you make, regardless of what is in front of you, you will keep moving towards what you want. Regardless of any apparent limitations or the odds stacked against you, you stay focused, take action and move towards the life of your dreams and guess what? You will make it, whatever it is.
When we get brave enough to do it now, we start doing two things:
1. We begin to create life and the things we want and eliminate life and the things we don’t want.
2. We begin to experience random miracles on a regular basis. The impossibilities fall by the wayside and the possibilities continue to unfold.
No matter what you’re putting off and no matter when you tell yourself you’ll make it or why you can’t do it now, you lack courage to face your life and the job at hand. This passive approach (procrastination) to life will create depression, more fear and stagnation. You will be stuck day after day and year after year.
When a person is not creating the things they want in life, they are generally creating the things they don’t want. Difficulties come and go, but courage will keep you moving towards your dream destination. Don’t adjust your life according to what you don’t feel like doing or apparent limitations. Continue despite yourself, fear, or lack of motivation. Just do it and do it now!
Here’s an experiment you can do on yourself that I’ve shared with thousands of people around the world. The end result for everyone is always the same.
1. For 24 hours have the courage to face everything in your life. Whatever you have been putting off or avoiding, for one day face it and do it. It could be eating better, making certain phone calls, or doing some things you’ve been putting off for a while.
2. At the end of 24 hours, take a look at your mood and energy. You will notice a significant increase in your overall happiness. You will feel more hopeful. You will feel more alive!
A successful and happy life doesn’t just happen, we have to create it and the key element is courage.
Instead of waiting for January to make the merry-go-round, New Year’s resolution, why not do it now?
Instead of waiting for a better time or day to do something, why not do it now?
Instead of waiting to move towards the life of your dreams, why not do it now?
A little courage can go a long way. Your life will expand or contract according to your value.
I like what the Greek philosopher Aristotle said: “Courage is the first of the human qualities because it is the quality that guarantees the others.” What guarantees courage? All. Everything you want; everything you wish; and everything you deserve.
Be brave enough to become the person you dream of being. The only way you will truly know yourself is by courageously allowing your real self to show up. Get rid of lingering negatives and experience something wonderful: you.
As you move forward doing the necessary things that will create what you want, regardless of fears or not feeling like it, you will become happier. As you become happier, you will shine brighter to others as if you were a light that has been turned on. When you shine, the world becomes a brighter place.
I’m going to play and I hope you do too. Until next time, I’ll leave you with a funny Irish saying that my good friend and client from Ireland wishes me for good luck at the end of every training call: “May you be in heaven half an hour before the devil knows you’re dead.” .”
