It took me a bit of time to find my courage, to leave a good job, return to education at the age of 38 with two children, and setting up my own business as a Positive Psychology Coach and wellbeing facilitator. I wanted to share five tips for finding courage in case you too are feeling comfortable but you know, in your heart there is something more you want to do or experience.
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Reframe the fear of failure- it could be a stepping stone to something greater.
This was definitely the biggest hurdle I had when it came to finding courage. But what is important to understand is firstly failure is not a bad thing especially if you take risks and step outside of your comfort zone. If you take a risk and it doesn’t work out it may well be the stepping stone to something else that works out, that you would not have found had you not taken the risk. Try re framing the way you think about failure. Consider failure as ultimately an opportunity to grow as a person, fear is a basic survival instinct designed to keep you safe, embracing it may then provide a solution to overcome it.
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Use your strengths,
When it comes to finding courage it helps to identify and be aware of what you are good at. If you are not sure of your strengths try a free strengths survey like this one The reason being is that when you are aware of, and that you use your strengths on a daily basis you are then focusing on what is good about yourself. You are more engaged, more confident, perform better and ultimately happier and more resilient as you go about your daily lives. Your strengths are the perfect ingredients for giving you confidence to find your courage, encouraging you to look for and take an opportunity when it presents itself.
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Gratitude journaling
Sometimes your heart or your gut may be telling you that you want to do something more, but often the biggest challenge is being clear on what the something more looks like. This makes defining your direction and goals for the future a task that you never quite get to.
A tool that I have found so beneficial for me is journaling, particularly gratitude journaling. I write down three good things that have happened to me each day, and that I have actually experienced noticing myself feeling happier after they have happened. If you do this for just two weeks it can not only lead to an increase in positive emotions and a decrease in depressive symptoms, but the effects can last for up to 6 months. Finally when you look back at your journaling over a period of time you will be able to identify patterns and clarity on what it is that you seeking.
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Think of courage as a muscle
Did you ever feel that when you saw people around you acting courageously that it was just in their DNA?, and that courage was not in yours?? To some extent some people may be slightly more pre disposed, however courage is like a muscle and everyone has the ability to define and build their courage muscle it just takes training and practice. So the more that you can find ways to act courageously (even small acts at the start) the stronger the ‘courage muscle’ will become
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Focus on you and your wellbeing basics.
Sometimes life can be really exhausting, and the thought of taking some time to figure out what the changes are that you need to make, never mind making them can be totally overwhelming. It is hard to find courage when you yourself are out of balance. Take some time to notice what you need and get back to applying some of the wellbeing basics into your routine such as a regular sleep pattern, taking time to get outside. As you start to feel less exhausted you are likely to be able to find the energy to start finding courage to make a change.
Finally Positive Psychology Coaching can support you on the journey to find the courage and direction that you need to lead a flourishing life. If you would like to find out more please reach out and book a time that suits you to discuss it further using https://theoptimalperformancecoach.com/book-an-introduction-call/ or email emma@theoptimalperformancecoach.com