When we think about courage, we might imagine the prototypical warriors who saved Sparta from invading armies, the samurai who protected their master, or the Shaolin monks who defended their monastery from bandits.
But what does courage do for the average person in modern times?
We might not think that we utilize courage in our day-to-day lives. We aren’t all climbing mountains, going to war, or protecting our communities. So why do we need to act with courage when going to work, practicing our hobbies, or spending time with our friends and families?
Being courageous is the vital element that helps us succeed in almost all spheres of life. By confronting the obstacles we face with courage, we are taking calculated risks and facing our fears with calm and confidence.
Everyday Benefits of Courage
These are just some of the many benefits of being courageous in modern life:
1. Happiness. If we don’t act on what we feel is right, we are often left with regret. By acting on what we feel is right, we ensure that we are taking the course of action we are most satisfied with, and increasing our overall sense of happiness.
2. Self-Confidence. Acting with courage helps us build confidence in ourselves. By calmly considering our course of action and then acting upon that decision, we can take confidence that we are
3. Awareness. When we act with true courage, we are taking carefully calculated risks instead of blind leaps. By carefully examining the situation at hand, we are considering things from all angles and opening up our point-of-view instead of reacting without thinking.
4. Integrity. When we act with confidence and do the right thing, we inspire those around us to do the same. Not only are we happy with the course of action we have taken, but we’ve also inspired those around us to act with courage as well.
5. Discovery. When we push ourselves to act with courage and do the right thing, we often step outside of our comfort zones. By doing this, we are opening ourselves up to new experiences that we would have otherwise missed out on.
6. Success. Ultimately, courage helps us realize our dreams, whatever they may be. Because we focus on doing what is best for ourselves and our loved ones when acting with courage, it helps keep our goals in front of us and push us to seize opportunities that may arise to achieve them.
Courage helps us take risks, think things through, and accomplish our goals. It also helps us to believe in ourselves and our actions. It helps us be aware of our fears, and how to work with them to achieve what we need to do.
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Developing Courage
In today’s world, courage is often misunderstood as a lack of fear. But this is not the case: courage is about doing what is right, irrespective of fear or even using fear as motivation. There is no courage without fear. The two complement each other as yin and yang.
Opposite to what many people have come to believe, courage is not being reckless. Courage is about taking a calculated risk, knowing that you are prepared for what needs to be done, like seizing an opportunity when it arises to improve your life.
Regular expression of courage to yourself and others, builds self-confidence over time and helps you achieve results which may have seemed impossible or difficult to achieve previously.
Courage can be learnt and developed, like a muscle: something that can be trained over time and utilized when needed the most. Courage can be realized in just a moment, but it’s the careful cultivation of that courage within ourselves that allows us to implement it when needed.
We all need to have the Courage to live our lives without regret. To be the best version of who we can be and then give back to our community so that it is a better place for all.
