Do it anyway!

“Courage is reckoned the greatest of all virtues; because, unless a man has that virtue, he has no security for preserving any other”. Samuel Johnson.

Our world today is not so much about making strategies and plans but about executing them. This is a simple fact. However, what it takes is not resources, not machines, not money but HUMAN COURAGE! It requires you to unleash yourself. Mike Litman, a specialist on the subject once said “Human Greatness is held hostage! By humans themselves”. 

We work with many companies on their culture, strategies and business goals. Whilst needs are diverse, there is a subliminal need for overcoming FEAR! (Of what? Ask yourself!)

Organizations today want their people to achieve extraordinary results. Interestingly, being simple in a complex environment is the name of the game and this requires people to overpower their fear and/or super charge their courage. In short the new catchphrase: “Feel the fear and do it anyway” ; even shorter, have COURAGE!

One general definition of courage is the ability to confront fear in the face of pain, danger, uncertainty or intimidation. 

I read this interesting article somewhere and it gave this example: ‘Is a parachutist courageous? You may think it takes courage to jump out of a plane, but what if the person jumping isn’t afraid? Do you still think he is courageous? This means that what may appear very courageous to you may be a part of everyday routine for someone else.' 

Maybe you think it would be safer to not take risks. Those who never take any risks are afraid of the possibility of something going wrong. In actuality they are living with a false sense of security. Little do they realize that things can and do go wrong, even if they don’t do anything at all.

If you want to be “safe”, you have to be the one in CONTROL. If fear is the decision maker in your life then you are not in control. Never adapt to change. LEAD CHANGE!!

Here are four tips to help deal with your fears:

1. Use positive affirmations.Instead of saying “I can’t do that…”, say “I can do that…”
2. Block out negative talk of others. Advice is different from discouragement 
3. There is no right or wrong way to do something. If you make a choice that does not turn out as you had hoped, it isn’t a failure, rather merely a setback. We learn and grow from our mistakes.
4. Think of past achievements that required overcoming a fear. No matter how trivial they may seem now, at the time, they required courage on your part, so you know you have it in you!

Even if you skulk in the shadows, afraid to say "boo", there will still be people who will ridicule or voice negative opinions about you, but you will earn more respect by standing up and being counted. 

To me, courage is discovered when people are challenged. Either challenge or be challenged!

Courage is not the absence of fear – it is feeling the fear and doing it anyway!