When I hear that word, “courage,” I hear the voice of the cowardly lion in my head – from The Wizard of Oz. The lovely, compassionate, generous lion believes he lacks courage just because he’s a sensitive sort. He feels afraid, and he cries, so he must be a coward. Of course you know how wrong he is.
So why do you continue to believe that you will find the courage, “someday,” to take action on your dreams – when you no longer feel so afraid? I have news for you – it ain’t gonna happen. Not that way, anyhow.
Courage is “feeling the fear and doing it anyway.” Courage is determining the next step toward your dream, and doing it, even though it makes your throat go dry and your belly do somersaults. Courage is being willing to fly in the face of the “better sense” in your head, to make a stand against the voice that says “I’m too old for this, it’s too late for me.”
One of my clients told me this week about a recent act of courage: turning away a potentially troublesome client. Her old pattern would have been to take any client in the desperate hope that she’d end up with a commission. In this case, she recognized the danger signals of a no-win situation, and said, “I’m sorry, I can’t help you,” even though her belly was doing the panic-dance and her head was singing the “you’ll be sorry” song. Allowing her intuition to override logic is new for her. Maybe it’ll be a little easier next time – her intuitive wisdom has been proved out. The client has since caused the next professional no end of difficulty.
Courageous is what I will be this week, when I do my first talk, Thursday, May 30, 6:30 pm in the Sequim Branch Library meeting room – when I stand up there, voice quavering, knees knocking. I don’t know if I’m more afraid that no one will be there, or that people will show up! I’ve finally realized there’s no way I can do this first talk without feeling terrified. I will get through it, even so. And I will learn something valuable from it, whether it’s a bomb or a success. I’ll just have to wear my strongest antiperspirant, and put up with a stomach that feels like it’s in the electric chair.
It terrifies me. It’s not going to kill me.
I’m going so far as to call it an act of heroism, when you finally take a stand and act on your own behalf. Your mind is filled with “wisdom” from others, judgments about what you could or couldn’t, should or shouldn’t, do. Most of it is not wisdom at all. Toss it out. You can’t know what’s best for you, until you step up and find out.
Coach’s Challenge: One act of heroism. It’s not too much to ask! Be selfish – say “no” to a request that will take you away from your creative time. Say “yes” to something beyond the edge of your comfort zone. Let’s face it: being courageous can mean feeling like crap: guilty, afraid, sick to your stomach. Do it anyway! With the benefit of hindsight, you’ll be glad you did. Leave me a comment about it!
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Lindy McLaine, of www.wecansoar.com, helps people in the second bloom of life pinpoint their Life Purpose and create the best possible lives they can imagine. She is using her creativity to attract a community who responds to today’s challenges by stepping up to the plate and into their gifts, while believing in each other and themselves.
