Courage is not the absence of fear…
…but the ability to face our fears and overcome them. Do you remember the Wizard of Oz and how the cowardly lion wanted to be given courage, but found he already had it inside of him? The act of someone else acknowledging his courage made him believe he was brave. January for many is a month when courage is needed. The New Year celebrations are over and all that hope, that resolution seems a blurry memory. The reality of the coming year is in front of you and maybe, just maybe you feel a little blue. For many, this is a cold, dark time of year and it feels difficult to find happiness and light. This is when courage is most needed.
Courage is not necessarily always about fighting battles, sometimes it is knowing when to walk away from a fight.
Courage is what it takes to stand up and speak; courage is also what it takes to sit down and listen.
Winston Churchill
How does the Law of Attraction help you find courage?
The best way to overcome the habit of fear is to assume the mental attitude of Courage-just as the best way to get rid of darkness is to let in the light.
http://www.thoughtvibrations.com/injurious_thought_attraction.html
We know that our thoughts can color our lives and we also know that thoughts can become things. If we think fearful thoughts we can manifest that fear and so it becomes a self-fulfilling cycle- “I fear, it happens, I fear more” Courage is the ability to hold those fears to the light and truly face them. Now I am not suggesting you go out and do dangerous things to boost your courage!! That is a different facing of fears. There are those who thrive on the adrenaline boost that risky challenges give them- that’s fine for them. Most of us do not need to bungee-jump off cliffs or go white water rafting to boost our courage.
Most of us are challenged by the fear of failure; of losing loved ones; of difficult relationships; of being poor; of losing our health…all situations we know can be real. Yes, these fears are real, these things can happen; courage is knowing this and rising above the fear, facing the fear.
How to tap into courage
We are all brave, it’s just we don’t always know it! When a friend or family member needs our help we seem to be able to find the courage but are maybe not so good at doing this for ourselves. Finding courage does not mean being fearless. Fear is a necessary part of human biology; it warns us of danger, it lets us know we are at our limits. Moving through the fear is what courage is- a way of acknowledging the fear exists and finding a mechanism to deal with it. There are many fears that are not real- they are part of our upbringing or our inner critic playing nasty games with our thoughts. Here you can use Law of Attraction teachings to recognize these false fears and conquer that inner critic.
Other fears are all too real, but that doesn’t mean we cannot find courage. Sometimes we need to step back from our fear and examine it- often talking to others helps with this. Are your fears justified or just a drama running in your head? Is the sky really falling, Chicken Little? Recognize when fear is justified by thinking of the consequences of your actions. Your mind does warn you when actions are dangerous- as does your body- that racing pulse is an indicator of a stress response- so ask yourself, “What’s the absolute worst that could happen?” If the answer is life threatening- then this is the time that courage s the ability to walk away!
Practice being courageous
Maybe you think your heroes are always brave- not true. Being afraid is part of learning to take risks, come out of your comfort zone and live the life you want to live. Smart people, brave people, feel that fear and move forward anyway, but they are always afraid at some point. Try small steps to learn courage, to tap into the courage inside you. Say “yes” to the next challenge- be it making a presentation at work; trying a new hairstyle; ice skating; going on a date…whatever it may be- if your default emotion is fear and “NO” you will never know how much courage you truly have.
For those of you facing huge challenges, in love, in health, in work…I know that courage is needed more than ever. I am not saying, “be brave” it is not as easy as that and words are not enough. However, there are some ways you can build your courage to face difficult times
- Ask for help- courage is not a solo mission
- Be kind to yourself- there will be days you want to cry- let yourself- then dry your eyes and have a good meal, a soothing bath, watch comedy on television- anything to lift your spirits
- Get outside- the world is a wonderous place and nature has its own healing properties. Fears seem smaller when you look at the sky and the trees
- Help someone else- when you are fearful you can go inside yourself and get stuck in a loop. By helping others you put aside your own fears for a while, and somehow they shrink.
- Believe that you will get through this- practice positive affirmations and gratitude and it builds a reserve of good that in turn builds your courage to face adversity.
Share your techniques for overcoming fears with others in the comments below- remember we are not alone in this world- we just have to have the courage to reach out. For inspiring books and teachings that can help you find your courage- check out my recommended reads http://loranegordon.com/yourhappinessway/lorane-recommends/
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