Courage is not an absence of Fear
Posted on January 24, 2019 by Samuel Yeo, One of Thousands of Leadership Coaches on Noomii.
Courage is the capacity to move ahead in spite of our fear and pain
What is Fear ?
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Fear is the feeling of apprehension and worry that comes over us when we expect something bad or unpleasant to happen. We all have different fears that affect us in unique ways, and it comes in different form. There is the fear of looking stupid in front of others, fear of failure, fear of rejection, fear of feeling useless or in-capable, fear of being judged, and the list go on. Sometimes fear, as one person I know put it, is “irrational”. For instance, I will jump at the sight of a cockroach especially those adult ones that can dart around in flight.
Choosing Courage
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Nelson Mandela once said: “I learned that courage was not the absence of fear, but the triumph over it. The brave man is not he who does not feel afraid, but he who conquers that fear.”
Courage is a choice that we can make over fear. Being courageous does not mean that we are not afraid. Being courageous means we are fearful but you choose to face our fears and take a step forward. Personally for me, it helps to figure out the first small step to make and maybe a couple of deep breaths to move ahead!
What can I learn from Fear?
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Most of the time, our fears tells us exactly what we truly care about. For example, I can be scared of losing someone I love or if I don’t deliver the project on time I am afraid to disappoint a customer. What the fear is showing me is how passionate or responsible I am.
Benefits of Courage
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We have read countless inspirational stories of people braving their fears and turning their lives around. Courage is the capacity to move ahead in spite of our fear and pain. When we do that, we will find that overcoming the fear will not only make us stronger but we will be taking a BIG step forward towards maturity.
