When I asked my son what he thinks of when he hears the word “courageous,” his first word was, “Army.” I asked for clarification: “The military?” and he said, “Yes!” People who are in the military or the police are often seen as courageous because of basic training, combat, and sacrificing their livelihood for their country and communities.
When I think of courage I think of my grandparents who met in WWII. My Grandfather was in the Army and my Grandmother was a nurse in the field. I think about what they endured physically, what they saw, and how it affected the rest of their lives.
Then, I thought of the women who choose life over death. They choose to parent by themselves. Often their lives are not easy but the value they hold to live is greater. They decide to carry out their pregnancies knowing their lives are not going to get easier but that the reward on the other side of the pain and difficult times is the most important thing to them. When I was an active nurse, I had the privilege of caring for mothers who knew they were not going home with their babies either because of birth defects or because the mother decided to gift their child to adoptive parents. The fortitude of a mother choosing to carry regardless of her circumstance always left a positive lasting impression on me. Choosing life is always courageous!
Then I think of people who fight illnesses like cancer and other terrible diseases. Like many people, I have lost family members to cancer. Watching them suffer but keeping a positive attitude is courageous. I remember my father-in-law saying, “Why not me?” when he was diagnosed with cancer. My Grandmother said to me, “I am ready to go home to Heaven,” with a smile on her face before she passed. My husband had cancer and still did a bodybuilding competition only a year after his battle and surgeries. These are all courageous acts.
Business owners and entrepreneurs have to face rejection, feelings of inadequacy, self-doubt, and so many more difficult feelings. They are courageous because many people are not willing to take a chance on themselves to live the lives they desire and deserve. I know this because I was a nurse and have worked for others. I was willing to do so much for them; all while I let them dictate my worth. I now own two of my own businesses and dictate my own worth. This has certainly come with difficulties. I have learned how to handle rejection, imposter syndrome, fear, seedlings of inadequacy, and so much more. What has been the most surprising is these feelings do not go away but I can now identify when they creep in and shift my mindset.
There are many more instances of courage I could give you, but I think you get the point. Courage does not feel good because what causes courage is discomfort, fear, inadequacy, self-doubt, and more.
The problem is people get stuck in the possibility of what could happen to them if they don’t push themselves toward their dreams. They are faced with opposition and shutdown. To live your dreams and the life you deserve there will be uncomfortable times, feelings of inadequacy, imposter syndrome, feelings of rejection, and so much more. The reason people often do not meet their full potential is because of their lack of commitment to themselves to chase their dreams, face rejections, and allow themselves to feel uncomfortable feelings. They are not used to pushing through and realizing it is a numbers game. You send so many emails to only have a few converts. You make so many calls; only to get sent to voicemail. It takes true courage to push through these difficult circumstances.
I encourage you to dig deep into what it is that you have done that is courageous because more than likely you have something difficult you have faced. It may have made you uncomfortable and you were able to overcome it. Finally, please remember, courage is not measurable and is subjective. Meaning it is an opinion and everyone sees it differently. In the end, the truth about courage is that it does not feel good but it is necessary.
