Courage, Not the Absence of Fear
The great Plato asked, how does one become brave? The answer is by doing brave things. It is important to note that Plato didn’t say "when you feel brave, or when you are unafraid." That is because a person who says he is not afraid of anything is afraid of telling the truth!
Bravery or courage is not quite the equivalent of absence of fear. This is an important thing to know and remember. I am writing this article because I’ve heard too many people with unrealized potentials who tell me they don’t have the courage or are not brave enough. Wanting to be able to do something but not feeling brave enough to take the risk can be a great cause of unhappiness. People who are overwhelmed by their fear of failure or rejection are the subjects of that saying "its better to try and fail than not to try at all. Please note that I said "overwhelmed by fear" rather than afraid of failure. The reason, those who risk failing are not unafraid of failure. I do not remember anytime in my life when I am not afraid of failure, I am always afraid of being called a fool or of being rejected. But my fear of regretting not being able to discover what my real purpose is in this life far outweighs my fear of anything else. I would bet that those who make it in this life have fears of their own. The difference is that they do not let fear command them.
So, how again can we become brave or courageous? By doing brave things. Here are my suggestions:
- Know what you’ve always wanted to accomplish for your self.
- Know the hindrances that keep you from pursuing it.
- Know your fears, recognize them.
- Accept that you could fail and that you should prepare yourself for it.
- Do what you need to do despite the fear.
- When you fail, accept it gracefully, take a look back and see how you can do better next time.
- Try, try again, remember, quitters never win.
Remember, the journey is sometimes more important than the destination!
Be happy!
