Tag Archives: Courage

If You Think You are Too Small

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“If you think you are too small to make a difference, try sleeping with a mosquito.”

—Dalai Lama XIV

Closeup of a mosquito on human skin

Image from Flickr by ASCOM Prefeitura de Votuporanga

Did you know that the mosquito is the deadliest creature on the planet? More people have died by the mosquito’s transmission of diseases such as Malaria than all other poisonous, carnivorous, or other dangerous creatures combined.

How much influence have these tiny pests had on your enjoyment of a summer evening, or in an attempt to get a good night’s sleep in a tent?

EXERCISE:

How can you reduce or eliminate your limited views of yourself and become far more intentional and courageous to make a bigger difference in your world?

How can you bring your own positive bite into your communities, to spread more of the good things in life?

The Roller Coaster is My Life

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“The Roller Coaster is my life…It’s mountaineering; It’s wanting to get to the very top of yourself.”

—Paulo Coehlo, Eleven Minutes

Image of a roller coaster

Image from Unsplash by Claire Satera

The full quote for today is:
“The roller coaster is my life; Life is a fast, dizzying game; Life is a parachute jump; It’s taking chances, falling over and getting up again; It’s mountaineering; It’s wanting to get to the very top of yourself.”

Based on this quote, you might think I am a massive risk taker, tempting life and limb on a daily basis. I’ve had my share of adventures along the way, but for the most part, I am a bit more of an introvert than you might guess.

I do, however, love the idea of wanting to get to the very top of oneself, base on those life mountains or even hills we choose to climb.

EXERCISE:

In what areas of your life do you have the greatest desire for growth and achievement? How and in what ways can you be a bit more bold and courageous to get to the top of yourself in these important life domains?

Friday Review Courage 011218

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FRIDAY REVIEW: COURAGE

What role does courage play in your daily life? Here are a few courage-related posts you may have missed. Click the link to read the message.

“Become so wrapped up in something that you forget to be afraid.”

 

 

 

 

“Do one thing each day that scares you.”

 

 

 

 

“You can’t leave a footprint that lasts if you’re always walking on tiptoe.”

 

 

Hope Awakens Courage

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“Hope awakens courage. He who can implant courage in the human soul is the best physician.”

—Karl Ludwig Von Knebel, 18th Century German Poet

Image of a hand

Image from selfhypnosis.com

It is pleasant to consider the profession of coaching as a form of healthcare for the human soul.

So are the skills of teaching, mentoring, counseling, parenting, and even friendship.

What other types of relationships can you describe that induce, elicit, and awaken hope and courage in others?

EXERCISE:

How can and will you use your healing powers to generate greater possibilities and hopeful courage in those for whom you care?

when you connect with people

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“When you connect with people from the core, you learn a whole lot more.”

-Author Unknown

Image of people in a circle

Image from JumpCloud

Relationships and connecting with others are among the most valuable skills any of us can have. Books, blogs, podcasts, seminars, and other resources on this subject abound, yet most of us fall short of the level of excellence and mastery we desire.

Today’s quote points to the importance of experiencing one another at a far deeper level than many of us are willing to go. We’re afraid because of the level of openness and vulnerability inherent in the depths those relationships require.

EXERCISE:

How can and will you be more courageous to express your core beliefs, values, and emotions to deepen your most valued relationships?

Avoiding Problems

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“Avoiding a problem doesn’t solve it.”

—Bonnie Jean Thornily, Illustrator

Image of an ostrich with its head in the sand

Image from www.dailymail.co.uk

The ostrich doesn’t really bury its head in the sand —it wouldn’t be able to breathe! But the female ostrich does dig holes in the dirt as nests for her eggs. Occasionally, she’ll put her head in the hole and turn her eggs.

People, on the other hand, often “bury their heads in the sand,” ignoring problems for long periods of time, hoping they will simply go away.

EXERCISE:

What issue or problem have you been avoiding, professionally or personally? Where would summoning the courage to take this issue “head on” make the biggest difference?

 

I Want to Sing Like the Birds

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“I want to sing like the birds sing, not worrying who listens or what they think.”

-Rumi, 13th Century Persian Poet

Image from Flickr by Matt Knoth

Image from Flickr by Matt Knoth

I am currently writing a chapter for a book on personal development and soul transformation with 30 other authors. My chapter covers the concept of Personal Mastery, which has been of interest to me my entire life. I’ve even developed my own coaching program I call Personal Excellence Training, to help others reach their next level of achievement.

One key to the personal mastery journey of virtually everyone I’ve studied is the bold and often courageous pursuit of authentic gifts, talents, and interests that make their hearts sing. Their efforts at self-expression were frequently met with considerable resistance and outright criticism from their peers and the general public.

Perhaps they were simply singing their own special tune, one that was ahead of its time, that many did not yet embrace or understand.

EXERCISE:

Where in your personal or professional pursuits is it time to be even bolder and courageous, voicing your special tune regardless of whether others listen, or what they think?

“One must dare to be happy”

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“One must dare to be happy.”

-Gertrude Stein, American novelist, poet, and playwright

Image from Flickr by Blondinrikard Froberg

Image from Flickr by Blondinrikard Froberg

If I double-dared you, would you be doubly happy? The relationship between risk and reward is a topic of interest to many. Stories abound in the media, especially when you examine people who have achieved great wealth or who have lost everything—sometimes repeatedly.

But what about happiness? How does an orientation to risk-taking correlate to moving the needle on the happy meter? This idea fits perfectly with the concept of coaching, in which an individual acknowledges a personal or professional future they wish to realize.

To do so, however, requires taking the risk of leaving their current, often safe and secure realities for some more desired vision they see for themselves. Not to do so is considered by many the biggest reason for a life of regret, which no one would desire.

EXERCISE:

Where and in what ways could you take a more daring approach to your days, to lead a more interesting, exciting, and happier life?

Consider picking up a copy of Happier by Tal Ben-Shahar to examine other ideas to pursue greater happiness.

Better to be a lion

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“It is better to be a lion for a day than a sheep all your life.”

-Elizabeth Kenny, unaccredited 20th Century Australian nurse

Image from Flickr by Tambako the Jaguar

Image from Flickr by Tambako the Jaguar

Take an inventory of your life’s greatest moments—the ones where you did or were part of something remarkable, noteworthy, and of course, memorable. What were you doing at the time? I would guess that on many of these occasions you were reaching for some goal, striving for something you desired, or operating beyond your comfort zone inspired by a high-priority commitment.

Rarely do great accomplishments occur when we simply move day-to-day, grazing on the same grasses of our personal or professional worlds.

EXERCISE:

How and in what ways can you rally your inner lion to courageously roar, chase, and pounce on the successes you desire?

“Teach your daughters to worry…”

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“Teach your daughters to worry less about fitting into glass slippers and more about shattering glass ceilings.”

—Melissa Marchonna, Digital Marketer for the New York Jets

Photo from Boulder Writers Workshop

Photo from Boulder Writers Workshop

A few weeks ago my wife Wendy and I had a movie marathon. We saw four moves over the course of one weekend. One was Disney’s new, and I would say highly improved, Cinderella.

The theme of the new Cinderella was to have courage and be kind, not simply to marry the handsome prince and live “happily ever after.”

This advice is all the more timely given the fact that women still earn only 78% of what their male counterparts earn. They still hold only a modest percentage of leadership roles within the business world.

EXERCISE:

Where in your professional and personal worlds could you encourage and support your daughters, sons, friends, and colleagues to have more courage and be kinder in their efforts? What can you do to help them shatter the “glass ceilings” they may encounter, so they can live a more accomplished and satisfying life?