Courage Is a Pivotal State That Can Change Everything

Courage is so much more than overcoming fear.

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Once again I’m writing about courage. I find that I keep returning to the concept of courage because I want to share with the world how important it is. It’s empowering, liberating, and consciousness expanding.

The definition of courage according to the American Heritage Dictionary is: The state or quality of mind or spirit that enables one to face danger, fear, or vicissitudes with self-possession, confidence, and resolution; bravery.

Courage is often described as a characteristic or trait, which it is to an outside observer, but inside the courageous person, who has discovered it for themself, it is a powerful self-awareness: a game changer in fact.

I’ve also seen courage described as an emotion, which it is not. An emotion is an autonomous reaction to an occurrence or situation. For example: seeing a snake might trigger fear or disgust; while getting an unexpected gift might evoke happiness or surprise. Courage, on the other hand, is a feeling that often requires a conscious decision; it is a mindset, a state of consciousness.

Discovering Courage Can Make You Feel More Alive

When you step into courage, a shift occurs in your psyche that is life-changing. It changes the way you feel and think about yourself. It’s empowering; it makes you feel better. You worry less about change or setbacks. It boosts your self-confidence and self-esteem. You no longer care what people think about you or what you say and do. You realize how mentally strong you actually are. And when you start applying courage to every area of your life, it is transformative.

Courage is liberating in that you become free from fear and anxiety. With courage, you are more willing to discover the source of your fear. Courage enables you to shatter limiting beliefs. You accept what you can’t fix, and work toward repairing that which you can. Scammers and purveyors of fake news lose their ability to persuade because you no longer accept what you are told without verifying its veracity.

Contrary to what many believe, courage is not the opposite of fear. The opposite of fear is knowledge and understanding (which I explain in my post: What is the Opposite of Fear?). Courage is however an antidote to fear because you are no longer afraid to question the status quo. Anything that moves you out of fear is an antidote to it. Anger can also move you out of fear, but it is not as powerful as courage. Anger, however, can motivate you to want to change badly enough that you are willing to develop the courage to act and invoke positive change.

Courage Opens Doors to Creativity and Innovation

Courage expands your consciousness by helping you to remove mental and emotional blocks so that you may deepen your awareness and understanding of your inner self and your spirit. When those blocks are gone, you reopen your mind to creativity. New doors of opportunity open for you to enter and explore. The barrier-breaking writer Anais Nin accurately observed, "Life shrinks or expands in proportion to one's courage."

Is there a problem in your life right now that more courage could help you fix or change? How might courage improve your career, relationships, or mental health? If there is an area of your life where you are still afraid to do or be something, then that is an area where you need courage. Maybe you need courage to ask for help in your business; or the courage to say, “No” to someone who is breaking your boundaries; or the courage to stand up for what you believe despite peer pressure.

Take Baby Steps to More Courage

In my new book, Everyday Innovation: Enjoying the Creative Lifestyle for Fun and Fortune, I suggest taking low-consequence risks in order to gradually increase courage. Here are a few you might want to try: go to the movies by yourself; go out to dinner by yourself without looking at your phone (just be in the moment); phone someone you have not spoken with in a long while; open a conversation with a complete stranger about something you find interesting about them; participate verbally in a community meeting or town hall; join a hobby or study group; sell some junk you need to get rid of online; ask someone on a date who you think is out of your league; ask your boss for a raise.

Don’t give up if you fail. Learn from your mistakes, and then try again. The more you try, the more you will succeed, and the faster your courage will grow.