Why Courage Matters.
Why does courage matter and why should I care?
There is a Chinese proverb that says “The best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago. The second best time is now.”
Good advice. If we haven’t planted our ‘tree’ yet, that’s ok, it’s not too late.
So what do we do next? First we need to learn about courage so our mind will be in the right place as we go on our journey together.
I’ll begin with a basic premise: taking control of your life requires courage. From the smallest decision of how to spend your time each day, to making life changing decisions, we constantly face choices in our life that are impacted by courage.
Every day, the choices we make, including non-decisions about where to spend our precious energy and focus, create a powerful story about our determination and what we want out of life.
Courage is a choice. Learning about and choosing the path of courage is the foundation for taking control of life and accomplishing things YOU want to achieve.
Are you happy taking whatever you get in life? Are you happy with living someone else’s life? Making their dreams happen at the expense of your own? Taking the crumbs that others throw your way?
I think you’re more courageous than that.
Courage matters because life is tough. It’s going to throw all kinds of obstacles and barriers in your way every day, IF you let it. Courage is the best tool we have to stay on the path to success. It’s the only tool we have to push through the fear, the pain, and the low times. It helps us persevere until all the barriers in your way are knocked to the ground.
Since courage is so important, we need to understand it, practice it and master it so that it is at our command to use every day, ready to guide us so that we make good decisions. First need knowledge, so let’s get our heads in the right place.
Understanding Courage
What is a Human Being? Hint: Human = Courage
Courage is THE defining human attribute. Courage is what makes us human. Humans are unique. We alone, out of all the creatures on this Earth, use courage to shape and control our planet, making the impossible truly possible. We are the only creature on Earth that calmly walks toward fire to capture it and use it as a tool. We are the Fire Keepers.
From taming and harnessing fire, to inventing language and math, curing disease, creating art and music, to taking flight and exploring space, humans have used courage to master and control the world. None of these achievements were an accident. All of these milestones, and countless more, started as an idea in someone’s head that required bold action, nurturing, perseverance, failure, and the overcoming of all obstacles to finally realize success.
Courage is so powerful and so fundamental to our well-being, that we ignore it at our own peril. So, what exactly is courage? Let’s start with what it’s not. It’s not the absence of fear, it’s not about being unafraid, in fact, it’s just the opposite.
Courage is a choice. The choice to act in spite of fear. It’s about being afraid but deciding to forge forward anyway, doing something that might harm you, something that can bruise and crush your body and ego.
But you do it anyway because you know, in your head, it is necessary to succeed. You see, courage and fear are just flip sides of the same coin. They can’t be separated. When you act and think courageously, you vanquish fear.
Here is the key point about courage…some people say that you’re either born with courage or you’re not. Don’t believe it! That’s a cop out. The truth is we all have the ability to learn, practice and grow our courage. It’s your choice to make and only you can choose…know that using courage to suppress and vanquish your fears means you can accomplish more. That’s the key to making progress.
Courage is not just one thing. We’re all born with different mindsets, different circumstances, different fears, but we ALL have the opportunity to be courageous in our lives in some way. Your courage should not be compared to, nor can it be compared, to anyone else’s courage.
Some people are physically courageous, like firefighters or warriors. Others are mentally or spiritually fearless. Courage is a very personal thing and do not let others dictate to you what is or what is not courageous. Begin by conquering small fears. That will spark a fire to tackle another fear, and so on and so on.
When we hate on other people who we don’t understand, we are succumbing to our base fears. When we would rather fight someone rather than sit down and speak with them, we are showing fear and weakness. When we are too embarrassed to ask others for help and too proud to show some humility, we are not acting courageously.
So no matter what kind of courage you might have, no matter what your fears are, you can start in some small way to take control of your life. And you aren’t on your own! There are like-minded people who want to support you, want to see you succeed and they can help you get started. The 3rdNut Tribe is all about supporting each other and helping you get on the path to living with courage!
You may have many fears. That’s just reality and need not be a limiting factor on your ability to succeed. Don’t forget that some courage is better than none at all. It’s not an ‘all or nothing’ proposition. We are all born with an equal opportunity to use our courage for whatever purpose we choose.
I want to plant a little seed in your head. Courage is contagious. When you act courageously in your own life, you inspire and embolden others to seek courage in their own lives. So let’s grow our courage together and create a nation of courageous humans who aren’t afraid to take control and make life better for everyone!
Think about this for a minute…if courage is a choice to take action despite being afraid, that means that ANYONE can become more courageous. The decision is completely up to you and you alone.
When will you decide?
Courage Matters
To FORGE yourself into the courageous warrior you were meant to be, join Courage Academy which has the knowledge, tools and tips to take you from a wannabe to a warrior that can’t be defeated!
Read my next post about THE POWER OF COURAGE
Courageously,
Dave Trujillo
Founder and CEO 3rdNut Tribe