Posted by 
You walk into a tough situation and then suddenly feel like the cowardly lion. It happens to the best of us. Courage is one of the 4 keys to an authentic life, but it’s an elusive word. How do we have courage practically? Here are 10 ways to have courage in your daily life:
1. Start something you’ve always wanted to do
Remember all the dreams you used to have? Don’t give up on those. Yeah, I know you’re all thinking of something that you’ve rejected because it was ‘impossible’. Get after them and start today. You may not be able to do the whole thing immediately, but you can take the first step. This blog was that something for me. What’s your something?
2. Get out of your comfort zone
Most great things are done out of your comfort zone. Helen Keller said, “Avoiding danger is no safer in the long run than outright exposure. The fearful are caught as often as the bold.” If you are uncomfortable in social situations, schedule some social events and make up your mind to face your fear. I’m not saying to continuously do things you hate; rather, learn to like or at least tolerate these scary things.
3. Act with kindness
I feel that too many people assume others’ motivations and jump straight to conclusions. There is a sad lack of attempts to understand others. Think about the last time you did something you regretted. If I was viewing myself from the outside, I admit that it would be hard for me to understand some actions I took. But I would greatly appreciate it if others took the time to think deeply about my conduct before they judged. So I will do the same for others, and so should you.
4. Choose to care
One of the most basic human responses is to care, to care about events in your life and others’ lives. I care about and put stock into almost everything that happens in my life. If you want a bonus, caring + a positive outlook = magic.
5. Do something hard that will have long-term benefits
We all have things that seem too lofty to even attempt. “I could never do that,” we think. But the fact is, you most likely can. But you definitely won’t if you don’t even try. We also sometimes know that we can do things, but we just don’t want to, because of the difficulty of the task. Just as most great things happen out of your comfort zone, they are not usually easy. They need smart and hard work. A quick fix doesn’t work. It’s worth it to push through the discomfort to gain amazing benefits later. Don’t burn yourself out though; that won’t do anyone any good!
6. Reflect on your values
So often we just accept a set of standards or morals given to us by an authority. Be it the law or a leader, we can’t ignore that there is a lot of uneducated, blind assumption of values. From now on, do some reflection on the things you believe in. Just because someone says it, doesn’t mean it’s true.
7. Be un-normal
I think I just made up the word ‘un-normal.’ But hey, if Shakespeare did it, so can I. And, it’s a good word too. It’s exactly what I try to be every day. I do this because I often find that normal is boring. It’s overrated. Normal is, by definition, not extraordinary.
8. Defy convention and just go for it
On the theme of being out of the box, there are lots of things you probably want to do that aren’t standard practice for the people around you. That doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t do them. At the end of the day, you make your own decisions. Sometimes it’s necessary, or even best, to do what others tell you. Don’t always bend to others’ wills, though. Get out there and forget about others’ opinions. Sometimes you have to risk your reputation and jump in.
9. Put yourself out there
Let’s be honest. When we invite other people to voice their opinion about us or something we’ve made, we think about the situation as if we’re walking on a tightrope. There’s gold on the other side, but there’s going to be a lot of chances along the way to fall off into who knows what. But what if it’s not so either-or? When you share your work, your heart, and your soul, you’re going to learn priceless things. You’re going to grow, no matter what happens. And even if you ‘fail,’ you will be better for it when you come back. It’s all about mindset. With a positive head space, nothing is a true failure.
10. Refuse to settle
I’m not talking about being unhappy and ungrateful for what you have already. There are so many things that we take for granted. I’m talking about when we know that we could do better, but we’re too scared to move ahead. Today is your day. As Dr. Seuss famously wrote, “You have brains in your head. You have feet in your shoes. You can steer yourself any direction you choose. You’re on your own. And you know what you know. And YOU are the one who’ll decide where to go.” Get going! Today is yesterday’s tomorrow. (I may or may not have stolen that saying from a Michael Bublé song.)