New opportunities, tasks and experiences are exciting but always cause fear. It’s a natural response due to the element of the unknown. Some tap into adrenaline providing courage. Others, recoil and need to find courage somewhere else.
Courage is always needed to face the fear of doing new things. I’ve been facing this fear over and over this past year. By doing this I’ve gotten better at cultivating courage.
Courage is more of a decision than a feeling.
“You know, sometimes all you need is twenty seconds of insane courage. Just literally, 20 seconds of just embarrassing bravery. And I promise you, something great will come of it.” —Matt Damon in We Bought a Zoo
QUESTION THE FEAR
When you’re presented with a new opportunity, given a task, or facing a new experience and fear shows up, don’t ignore it, question it.
Sometimes fear is valid and other times it isn’t. Oftentimes fear is an empty threat that stems from past trauma. Questioning the fear will reveal what is true.
What is the fear saying?
Is it realistic? Or is it exaggerated? For example, if you feel like the fear is saying you’re going to die, or it’ll be the end of the world, but it really isn’t—the fear is lying to you.
Fear is a powerful emotion, but you can be more powerful.
Courage is more of a decision than a feeling. Share on X
QUESTION YOURSELF
Now that you know your new opportunity, task, or experience isn’t life-threatening ask yourself these challenging questions.
What’s the worst that can happen?
Don’t ask it flippantly. Make yourself look at the situation and identify the worst-case scenario.
Questioning yourself in this way provides you with insight into what the cost is to proceed with your new opportunity.
Another word for cost is risk. Identify the risk involved.
Are you willing to take those risks?
Will the risk be worth what the opportunity provides?
How can you prepare?
Being honest with yourself will give you the courage to move forward with a choice.
Fear is a powerful emotion, but you can be more powerful. Share on X
MAKE A CHOICE
Evaluating the risk involved and how you can prepare will dissipate the fear.
By going through this process, you face the fear in your mind and emotions before you encounter the situation. Now you can make an informed decision to proceed or pass up the opportunity.
If you choose to pass, you can do it with confidence. If you choose to proceed, you can prepare.
Intentional informed choices grow courage.
Being honest with yourself will give you the courage to move forward with a choice. Share on X
HOW I KNOW
As I said, I’ve been facing the fear of new things all year. It’s exciting but it’s scary too. New things take us out of comfort zone, but once we’ve done that new thing it becomes experience and our comfort zone enlarges.
New things I did this year:
- Started public speaking.
- Did a book reading.
- Spoke with a lawyer about the content in my new book.
- Interviewed ten people for my new book.
- Recorded the interviews and transcribed them.
- Obtained the necessary legal papers to include these ten people in my book.
- Joined a speaker’s group.
- Sat under a media coach.
- Joined an online paid mastermind group.
- Started doing videos on my Facebook Author page and Instagram.
- Joined a writer’s critique group.
- Called and talked to Bob Goff.
- Flew to Phoenix AZ all by myself for an event that was canceled.
- Took my first Uber alone.
- Did an open mike.
- Hired an editor for my new book.
- Joined another paid mastermind group and flew to TN two weeks later alone.
- Stayed at my first Airbnb alone.
- Hired a cover artist for my book.
- Dared to ask amazing people for endorsements for my book.
- Set up my new book on IngramSpark, not just KDP
- I have 3 more out of state trips planned and am speaking at my first writer’s conference.
I think that’s a lot and there’s probably things I forgot. It’s been a journey.
The courage for all of those things was built one choice at a time after questioning the fear, questioning myself honestly, calculating the risk, and preparing.
Somethings went better than others, but I learned I can do hard things.
“One of the greatest discoveries a man makes, one of his great surprises, is to find he can do what he was afraid he couldn’t do.” —Henry Ford
WHAT NEXT
- What new thing do you have in front of you that is causing you fear?
- Share in the comments and let me pray for you.
- Get this declaration to help you HERE
Interesting post. I usually do not fear new things. I’m up for a challenge as long as I know I am not risking life and limb. What I fear the most is people questioning my intelligence. I have three half written blog posts that I am afraid to complete because I am afraid I am not good enough. That my words are not good enough. I don’t even post on my Facebook page that often because I do not think my words are worthwhile. I fear the rejection.
Thank you, Bernadette.
We all have courage in different areas. And we can build it where we don’t have it. That is what I’ve been doing.
For example, I’m doing a 30-day challenge of showing up on video (or Facebook Live) and it was hard to start, then some days pretty easy but other days not so much.
I learned from Jeff Goins about something he called “practicing in public”. Maybe you’d be interested in his article on that.
I definitely would be! Please share the link if you are able. Thank you!
Certainly https://goinswriter.com/two-years/