The Courage Bar

It’s a wonderful time to be living in this world.

Information is literally at your fingertips.  Finding out something has never been easier.

There are so many guides, videos, articles, how-tos, courses, and action plans on the internet.  There are so many people offering to teach new skills, and even consult and walk you through the process of learning or starting, literally anything! It can be a new hobby, sport, skill, or even a new business.

So then, why aren’t I hearing more and more people starting new things, learning new skills, taking more risks and even setting up new businesses and ventures?

Turns out, access to information isn’t everything.

There’s something else far greater than just the knowledge.

The Courage Bar.

Because having all the guides and know how in the world isn’t enough to get you going.

Even after all the advances in modern technology, science, and information access, people’s hearts have remained the same.

People still yearn for love, suffer from pain, and fear the unknown.

Even after all the rational thought and education available, we are still emotional creatures.

Many times, a literal mess of emotions. Or an emotional mess.

And even with all the information, there is still fear.  It really doesn’t go away by itself.

There’s a courage bar.

You’ve got to have enough courage to overcome the fear and hesitation that comes along with starting something new.

And even though the barriers to starting something new and taking risks is now lower than ever, the courage bar remains as high as ever.

Courage is like a muscle.

I was in the middle of an office, typing a report.  Doing the 9 to 5, punching in and out, attending meetings, pushing papers.  Getting paid very little.

I hated it.

Two months into the job, I was feeling lousy, I didn’t feel good doing what I was doing.

It was a very clear decision to leave, and yet for the next 12 months, I didn’t.  I stayed and held on.

The work I was doing was noble, yet that wasn’t the reason I stayed on.

I stayed because I was afraid, and I let that get to me.  I was afraid of venturing out and risking what I had to do something that I liked and felt better doing.  I stayed because the monthly salary and benefits were comfortable.

Courage is like a muscle.  It grows stronger with use, and grows weaker with neglect.

If you don’t use it, you lose it.

Looking back, it took me 12 months to develop the courage, bit by bit, to finally make the decision, and follow-through by telling my boss in advance that I won’t be staying on with them.

Through small decisions daily, by taking small risks, and saying yes to choices and opportunities that I wanted to say yes to, but was afraid for some reason or the other.

The courage bar doesn’t get any lower, it’s us that has to develop the courage to get over it.

Seeing the fear that must be overcome.

Because it’s not the unknown that must be overcome, but the fear of it.

We tend to stick to what we already know, and what we can already control.  Sadly, that doesn’t get us very far.

We’re explorers, of the world, of opportunities laid out before us, and of ourselves.

And explorers venture forth first, before they can get a clear view of their destination.  Or what’s stopping them from reaching it.

Fear can show itself openly, or masquerade, hide, wear a costume.

There’s the comfort of stability.  Where we are sort of happy with what we have right now, and even though we are called to a different direction, or make a change, we are afraid, for the possibility of losing what we have already gained.

We humans are predisposed to loss aversion.  We are more afraid of the risk of losing, rather than the possibility of gaining.

Then there’s also the curse of not committing.  Where we start taking steps to a change or decision, but we are not invested in it fully.

Or we have already tested our decision, and have seen some good results, yet are still afraid to give it more of ourselves.

Not committing to the decision and action needed is a recipe for frustration.  Too much energy spread over several choices will lead to burnout, loss of energy, and even no real results.

Imagine, what if you decided to commit to both of these choices: Staying where you are right now, and exploring better options for you.

Crazy, right? Downright impossible for you to achieve any real progress on that front.

Pick one, and run with it.  As fast and as hard as you can.

Part of overcoming the fear is also getting to the point where you can’t take your situation anymore, something has got to change.  Or something has got to give, and usually, it’s you.

You’ve got to learn and recognize your “F–k it!” moment.  To spur you to commit to change and action in the face of fear, and to remind you why you chose your particular path when the going gets tough.

The Possibility of Courageous Risk.

It takes courage to do great and wide-reaching things in life.  Courage will make life better not only for other people, the people you affect and touch, but for you as well.

We’re all explorers.  Explore with courage, and find possibility.

We’re all high jumpers.  Mustering all that we’ve got to overcome the courage bar.

And fall.  Fall deep into what you love and what will sustain you.  What will embrace you.

Let that catch you.  And keep on catching you.  Let yourself be caught.

It takes courage to succeed, and you’ll be able to do anything you want, and get anything you want.

It’s a wonderful time to be living in this world.