Brave Enough?

I did a personality profile years ago and out of 24 strengths, bravery was number 23.

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At the weekend I took my 69 year old mum paddle boarding. She had a stroke a couple of years ago, which affected her balance and coordination. However, within minutes of being on the board, she was attempting to stand up. I was so proud of her.

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Anyone who’s been paddle boarding will know that when you start out it’s wobbly and a mind game. You have to calm your mind, which calms your body, as whatever you think translates into micro movements in your feet!

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Anyway, after one splash and two attempts she was up! I was so impressed. She didn’t dither or question whether she should do it. She just got on and did it. It struck me how brave she was being.

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When I think of my definition of bravery in business, it’s not about dashing off and doing some heroic act, it’s more about doing something which takes you out of your comfort zone, scares you a little, grows skills, puts you at risk of potential ‘failure’ and requires you to get over yourself in some way.

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What’s one person’s scary is another’s yawn and vice versa. Our skills and beliefs about what we’re capable of are as unique as our fingerprint.?

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Signs we are in need of a brave moment:

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• We’ve had something on a to do / bucket list for ages.
• We’re procrastinating. I did for 10 years, before I wrote my book.
• We’re making excuses.
• We’re letting faulty beliefs get in the way.?I believed the BS beliefs in my head. They were all made up and nonsense…until I challenged them.
• We’re bored.

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So, what are you not doing, which you would regret if you didn’t accomplish before you died?

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I’ve put a model together which can be used as a self-coaching tool or to structure a conversation with a team member:

That personality profile peed me off. I’d got comfortable. I could remember being brave setting my business up, but that hardly counted any more since Beee is 18 years old! So, I went on a quest to flex my bravery muscles. I:

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• Went on a long haul solo trip.
• Started creating vlogs. I shot my first one with the camera at my double chin.
• Wrote a book.
• Transitioned from Trainer to Speaker, which included much bigger audiences.
• Tried out lots of hobbies, such as horse riding, skiing, wakeboarding, paddle boarding, and body surfing.

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I felt scared before I did every single one of the above activities, but the personal growth, work-life enrichment, joy, sense of achievement and confidence I got as a result, was worth it.

Wishing you your best work-life yet.

Estelle Read

Coach, Trainer, Speaker and Best Selling Author at?Beee

PS PS If limiting beliefs are getting in your way, why not join my SHINE 1-2-1 Coaching Programme. In 5 steps it?transforms superstar leaders with imposter syndrome-related stress & anxiety, so they SHINE with more joy and natural?confidence. Book a free discovery call here or find out more here.