Could You Be Living with More Courage? Dare Yourself!

By Margie Warrell

Finish this sentence -- If I had the guts I would...

What would you do? What issues that you've been silently brewing on would you speak up about? What changes would you make in your career, your relationships... your life? What goals would you take on and what commitments would you break off? Ahhh... if only you had the guts.

Of course it's much more convenient to blame your woes or lack of opportunity on your spouse, your boss, genetics, the economy, your kids, or 'all the above,' but the truth is that you alone are responsible for the shape of your life and the state of your heart. Yes, that's right -- you alone are responsible! Sure, sometimes life throws curve balls your way, but whist you can't always choose your experiences IN life, you always get to decide your experience OF life. Sadly, though, too many people allow fear and doubt to determine their path and choose the certainty of mediocrity because they are so bloody terrified of the possibility of messing up or looking foolish.

In 'settling,' they sell out on their potential, on their dreams, and on themselves.

Eleanor Roosevelt once said, "Most people tip toe through life only to make it safely to death." So what about you -- where are you tiptoeing? More to the point, what would you do if you weren't afraid of speaking up, of messing up, or of what people might say? Whether at home, work, or beyond, your life is waiting for you to reclaim the power that your doubts and fears have been wielding and begin living it more purposefully, more passionately, and more courageously.

Perhaps as you're reading this you're thinking, "But I'm different. Really. I've always been timid and never had the boldness and gutsiness that others do." Well, I hate to burst your bubble, but that's just not the truth. Rather, it's just a story you've become very attached to that lets you off the hook in taking ownership for all those things in your life that aren't as you'd like them to be.

Sure, you may never have performed some extraordinary feat of bravery, survived some dreadful tragedy, or overcome a life-threatening illness, but that doesn't mean you don't have all the courage you need to do whatever it is that tugs at your heart strings. You just haven't been forced to draw on your courage for your survival. The fact is if you found yourself in similar circumstances, you would realize that you too possessed more strength and courage than you ever imagined. The problem is that most human beings go through life never realizing just how resourceful, how strong, how capable, and how courageous we have it within ourselves to be.

Ultimately courage is not the absence of fear, self-doubt, misgivings, or uncertainty. Not at all! Courage is action in their presence; it's feeling your fear and taking action anyway! Of course if it were easy to live with courage, everyone would be doing it. The reality is, living the courage is likely the biggest challenge you will ever face. It's also the most important, because when you tap into the courage that resides within you, it opens up a whole new world of possibility.

Whilst no one is born with a genetic bypass to fear, everyone is born with a heart and the ability to connect with what stirs it. By doing so, everyone (and yes, that includes you) is able to tap into the reserves of spirit (from which the word 'inspire' derives) to face their challenges with courage, to dream bigger, to live bolder.

As risky as it may feel to you to begin making changes and taking chances, the far greater risk is to take no risk at all. Choosing to stay in the safe, predictable, familiar confines of your comfort zone will take you down a path that will one day have you looking back on your life and wondering regretfully "What if?" As ordinary as you may think you are, there are things that you, and only you, can ever do. So fear regret more than you do failure and don't wait for "some day" to arrive when the moon and stars all line up and all your doubts have disappeared to step out boldly into your life. Life is too short for such a long endless wait. Rather, make the decision to embrace a renewed sense of adventure in the life you have right now and to begin fulfilling the only true mission you ever really have in your life -- to do the best you can with what you have been given.

Everyday opportunities arise for you to live with greater courage. Whenever you make the choice to express yourself more openly; to give up well-worn excuses and dare to pursue something bigger; to open your heart and reveal your humanity more fully; to get up after a fall; to say no to something that doesn't inspire you and yes to something that does; to step up to the plate of leadership in your workplace, in your family, in your life... you are being more courageous and expanding your ability to live a more meaningful, rewarding, successful, and joyful life.

Never again do you need to say "If I just had the guts" because you do! All the courage you need is available to you right now. It's just waiting on you to tap into your heart, to connect with whatever makes your spirit come alive, and to step boldly forward in living the life you aspire to live and being the extra-ordinary person you have it within you to become. Don't let your life pass you by as you tiptoe through it only to make it safely to death. Move out onto center stage, ask for more from life, dream bigger dreams for yourself, and trust that wherever your dreams may take you, you have the courage to travel.

Don't believe me? Your life is waiting on you to dare to try.