How do you “take courage” when you go through difficult times, trying circumstances, or the transitions at work or in your personal life that lead to a new stage or place of growth? You can draw on past experiences in your life and the skills and gifts you have used at those times.
What “take courage” means
When someone encourages you to take courage or take heart, they are urging you to act with strength and perseverance in the face of obstacles and fear. You have the potential to take the first step, and the next step, and the step after that, in a courageous journey. You will have to step out of your comfort zone into the unknown, which can be a scary or daunting place.
Taking courage will be easier if you do your homework, familiarize yourself with the possibilities open to you, and thus reduce your risks. This makes it easier to take action.
Every time you take courage, you strengthen your ability to persevere. You build confidence. You establish pathways in your brain that will guide you during futures changes and transitions.
Strengthening your ability to take courage
Develop strategies now that will help you in the future when you must take courage without giving it a second thought. The following are easy ways to strengthen your courage:
1. Remember times in your youth and adulthood when you successfully took courage and overcame your fear
2. Recall two or three of these times and make a corresponding list
How did you feel?
What did you do?
What spurred you to action?
How did you overcome your fear?
What was the outcome?
3. Look for themes in your experiences of “taking courage”—did you
• Follow the advice or example of a role model?
• Rely on a friend for support?
• Break a huge undertaking into smaller steps?
• Focus on what you could do and not what you couldn’t do?
• Use written goals and strategies as encouragement and a reminder?
• Stay realistic about the outcome?
• Persevere through obstacles?
• Expect the outcome to be good but not perfect?
• Celebrate your accomplishments?
• Pay it forward by helping others take courage?
Use what you have learned to take courage and move forward. Being prepared is often a huge help in being courageous and taking action. The questions and thoughts to ponder in Where Will You Retire? A Retirement Guide And Exercises For Deciding Where To Retire, Buy A Second Home, Or Relocate* can help anyone who is relocating/moving to a new home—not just retirees. If you are feeling overwhelmed, I can also help you pinpoint the skills that you already have to move forward and take courage.
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