Do You Have The Courage To Be Who You Want to Be?
Almost all human beings have goals and dreams. Maybe we want to be rich, or slim, famous, or all of it!
Whatever your goals and dreams may be, it will require courage from you. Common sense will indicate that you’ll need to do more, and be more than what you currently are if you wish to achieve what you want to achieve.
Trying to build a muscular body? You’ll need the courage to workout at the gym even if you feel intimidated.
Trying to be a successful salesperson? You’ll need the courage to make more sales calls and be ready to deal with rejection.
Envision where you want to be, and see yourself walking the walk and talking the talk of the ‘future you’.
Do you see the courage that’s required of you? Below I list a number of strategies you can apply from today to successfully move forward and live your best life, and I ask…Do you have the courage to be who you want to be?
• Dream Big
For starters, you’ll need the courage to think big. Don’t set small achievable goals. Set big ones that excite you and even scare you a little. It takes courage to dream big.
Don’t hold yourself back or think that you don’t have what it takes. You’ll just be cancelling yourself out before you’ve even begun.
• Write It Down
Once you know what your goals are, and they should be what you TRULY want and not what others expect of you – write them down. There’s something almost tangible about putting your goals on paper.
Studies have shown that people who do this and commit to their goals actually have a higher chance of making their dreams come true.
Now that it’s in black and white, you’ll be less likely to dismiss them in your mind. From here on, it’s just a matter of taking small steps towards your goal instead of just thinking about it.
Have the courage to take the first step in faith, and over time you will get to your destination.
• Fear Of Success?
It may seem strange, but millions of people fear the responsibilities and demands that come with success. They may self-sabotage their efforts. For some people, and as crazy as it sounds, success may be traumatic.
They prefer things to stay the same. While they have dreams, they literally fear success and also long to stay in their comfort zone.
The truth is that if you’re not progressing, you’re regressing. There’s no stagnation in life. It’s always one direction or another. Up or down.
Courage means fighting for what you want. Or else, what you don’t want will start taking over. You’re always in a battle with life and courage should be your default setting.
• What’s The Worst That Could Happen
Whatever fears you may have should be written on paper. Then analyse if you can do anything about them. If you can, then get prepared.
If you can’t, then worry is pointless. Go ahead and work on your goals and dreams. You can deal with any issues that crop up along the way.
• Your Past Doesn’t Define You
Do not look at past failures, half-finished attempts and other negative incidences in the past as your ‘current blueprint’.
Every single day, we get a chance to begin anew, and by slowly working on your habits you can transform your life.
Don’t let your past dictate your future, and watch your negative thoughts which will try to convince you otherwise. You can still succeed no matter how many times you’ve failed before.
You just need the courage to work towards your goal, and work on yourself so that you become worthy of that particular goal.
• Ignore The Naysayers
There will always be people who will drape you in a wet blanket when you tell them your dreams. They’ll tell you to be realistic or mention the risks involved.
Very often, these naysayers will be your closest friends or family who claim to be ‘looking out for you’.
Once again, you’ll need the courage to persevere in the face of resistance from those closest to you. Those who tell you why it cannot be done are usually those who have not done anything themselves.
So, ignore them and stay focused.
• Age Is Just A Number
Another common misconception is that one is too old to succeed. In some endeavours, that may be true. You’re not going to win the Olympic gold for the 100-metre sprint when you’re 60.
But there are countless other things you can achieve. It’s NEVER too late to start. Harrison Ford was a carpenter until his 30s. Ray Kroc opened McDonald’s when he was 52. Harland Sanders started KFC when he was 65.
It’s never too late to have courage to begin.
• Resourcefulness Levels The Playing Field
You may wonder about your lack of capital. Or maybe it’s the country you were born in. Or maybe it’s the family connections. In short, you lack the necessary resources to succeed.
All these can seem like very justifiable reasons for not pursuing your goals…BUT let’s not count out resourcefulness.
Resourcefulness will mean having the courage to think outside the box to overcome your limitations. It may mean finding an investor to fund you.
It may mean migrating to another country which is more favourable to success. It may mean networking and making your own connections.
Ultimately, it’s all about having the courage to keep going even when the odds are against you. You will change as a person to achieve what you want, but when you change, everything around you will change as well.
That will require courage – but the rewards are priceless.
In Conclusion
Everything you want is on the other side of fear. Embrace the unpredictable, step outside your comfort zone and be brave to become the you that you’ve always wanted to be.
Only YOU can do that!