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Courage That Changes Your Life
by Chris Widener
The scars you acquire while
exercising courage will never make you feel inferior.
-D.A.
Battista
Courage is fear that has said its prayers.
-Dorothy
Bernard
Courage. It is a word that conjures up images of great
and dramatic actions. And yet I realize that we all have the
opportunity to be courageous every day, in small and large ways.
And it is when we choose to be courageous that we change our
lives and the lives of those around us.
Can you name anything of any significance that did not
emanate from some sort of courageous decision? I can’t. Think of
the changes that we have experienced in the last few decades and
trace them back to their initial decision. Chances are, someone
exhibited courage.
So what is courage?
It is simply acting on what we want
to do, regardless of any fear we may have. It is the choice to
disregard worry. It is the choice to do right, to pursue our
dreams, to be successful people, to lead the way for others.
Courage changes lives. Yes, it changes lives.
First, the day you begin to stare down your fears and
worries, and instead act courageously, your life will change. You
will be set free to fly like you never have before. You will
accomplish things you once only dreamed of. You will experience
things you thought were only for others – the courageous ones.
You will realize that your fears were baseless and just paper
tigers, a mirage. You will begin to live your dreams. You will
become a person of character!
You will also change the lives of others.
Simply put,
courageous people pull others along with them. Everybody benefits
from courageous people. I have a friend who I admire greatly. A
little over a year ago he decided to leave a lucrative career and
pursue a dream. All obstacles were thrown his way. The day he
left his company, he found out that his wife had cancer. He went
into a great deal of debt to finance his dream. He raised
millions of dollars, putting his name and reputation on the line.
He acted courageously. A year later, he has over fifty employees
and growing monthly. Those employees are reaping the benefit of
his courage! And his wife, who beat cancer, is acting
courageously with him!
Here are some quick tips for acting courageously:
Know what you want.
Courage is about choice. If you are to act courageously, you need
to know what the right choice is. Be clear about your dream and
vision.
Do not worry.
I heard recently that worry is the wrong use of the imagination.
That is perhaps the best definition I have ever heard. Worry is
just thinking about all of the bad possibilities, isn’t it? Well,
courage is just thinking about all the great possibilities and
then acting upon them!
Do your homework.
It helps to get the facts. It helps because then you can make an
informed decision that will put your heart and mind to rest.
There will probably be a downside but we understand it, choose
alternatives, and act decisively instead of those.
Act.
There is no substitute for the first step. Do you know what you
want? Have you thought of the possibilities? Have you done your
homework? Then what are you waiting for? The next step is to take
the first step, and ACT!
Chris Widener is a popular author and speaker and the
president of Made for Success - www.MadeForSuccess.com. His New
Book is The Angel Inside: Creating a Life of Power and Beauty -
www.TheAngelInside.com.
Courage That Changes Your Life
by Chris Widener
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