These Techniques Will Really Boost Your Courage
It can feel difficult at times to muster the courage to tackle the things in life we need to. I believe a lot of that comes from simply not being equipped to handle those circumstances. When we have to go into anything without feeling prepared to know how to handle it we are, of course, going to experience fear.
But, as we become more empowered for the experience we can move forward with greater confidence. We can act in courage.
One of my favorite movie genres is epic wartime dramas, particularly set during WWII.
I still remember the first time that I watched Saving Private Ryan. This was the first movie that I can say actually changed my life. After viewing the film I had a readjustment of my priorities in life. The storyline and cinematography were real enough that it forced a shift in my perspective.
I couldn’t hang on to my little struggles of life anymore. They just no longer had any relevance. I had just been confronted with a level of reality that I had never been faced with. This was an immersion into the concept of mortality. The story was so incredibly inspiring to me that I wanted to live better through the battles of my own life.
“You’re Already Dead”
HBO had an excellent drama several years ago called Band of Brothers. I loved this show because it too was a success at recreating what I imagine to be the horror of war and highlighting the courage of the brave people stuck in the midst of it.
In one memorable scene, Lieutenant Speirs explains to Private Blithe how to cope with fear:
“We are all scared. You hid in that ditch because you think there’s still hope. But, Blithe, the only hope you have is to accept the fact that you’re already dead. And, the sooner you accept that, the sooner you’ll be able to function as a soldier is supposed to function. Without mercy. Without compassion. Without remorse. All war depends on it.”
Wow.
That rings true to me, though.
It helps me to understand courage much better and gives me some ideas of how to get it.
I’m not sure how you might be struggling with finding courage right now. Maybe you’re pregnant and don’t feel that you are in the least bit ready to care for a baby. Or possibly you’re being promoted to new responsibilities that have you freaking out. Perhaps you see starting a business in your future but just can’t bring yourself to leave your comfort zone.
No matter where you are at with courage right now here are three techniques to boost it:
Technique 1- Learn To Keep Your End In Mind.
There is something about recognizing the brevity of our days and our guaranteed demise that puts everything into perspective.
When I back into a mailbox and dent my fender it doesn’t seem like such a big deal anymore (this may or may not have really happened).
When I make a mistake at work and cost my company money, I don’t need to get so down on myself (again, no admissions of guilt here).
And when I’m facing fear about moving forward in some kind of venture, I can find courage because I can know I’m “already dead.”
With this type of mentality, fear begins to loosen its grip on me. What do I have to be afraid of when I realize my life is but a breath anyway?
It isn’t depressing to me to think about the end of my days. On the contrary, it’s inspiring. I find great motivation through the urgency that kind of awareness brings about. It focuses me to realize that if I’m going to get something done I need to get about doing it—regardless of the cost to me.
This, I believe, is the beginning of true courage.
Of course, most of the culture worldwide doesn’t accept death so willingly. It’s a subject too taboo to be contemplated or discussed.
But there wasn’t always such avoidance of it.
The acceptance of death is considered often in the Bible and it merits frequently discussed. For instance, the author of Psalm 90:12 (NLT) writes:
“Teach us to realize the brevity of life, so that we may grow in wisdom.”
And in Psalm 39:4-5 (NASB):
“LORD, make me to know my end and what is the extent of my days; Let me know how transient I am. Behold, You have made my days as handbreadths, and my lifetime as nothing in Your sight; Surely every man at his best is a mere breath.”
Or Psalm 144:4 (ESV):
“Man is like a breath; his days are like a passing shadow.”
Although it might seem counterintuitive, keeping a proper perspective on our mortality gives us a proper balance in life. And I believe to do so also tends to increase one’s courage.
Technique 2- Tear Down False Concepts About Yourself
Although I’ve never been enlisted in the military I’m fascinated by something I’ve seen time and again in several documentaries. The military works very hard to break recruits down to nothing in order to build them back up as soldiers.
After boot camp, even the timid and unsure find themselves in a new place of confidence.
The process is successful because any false concepts the individuals held of themselves before have been stripped away and much more empowering ones promoted.
The recruits see themselves as warriors, not as people who have had held life-long self-images of varying degrees of failure, uncertainty, or mediocrity. They cannot use any previous self-conceptions as crutches against being who they need to be in order to survive and carry out missions.
And the process also destroys one of the biggest threats to courage, the ego.
The late Dr. Wayne Dyer does an excellent job explaining the construct of the ego in his bestseller, Your Sacred Self—Making The Decision To Be Free. This is an absolute must-read in helping you discover and control your ego so that you can be free from its effects.
When our lives are dominated by our ego, we are driven by a motivation to protect ourselves—to protect our ego, at all costs.
The ego is a self-protection mechanism. It only wants to be strengthened and to grow stronger and gain importance. That’s its sole function.
So when we are faced with situations that require courage, our ego can quickly short-circuit our ability to engage. It’s only by defeating it that a person has any chance at all of acting in courage.
In fact, without the ego dominating our lives, we sometimes find we aren’t the most important thing in life after all.
Technique 3- Find Something of Greater Value Than You.
I’m amazed by the courage of individuals portrayed in many of these movies and series. They are willing to sacrifice their lives for the mission. In some cases, like Saving Private Ryan, they didn’t particularly even believe in the mission. But they proceeded anyway, despite the costs.
These soldiers understood that there was a purpose behind the missions that was of greater value than them. For them, that purpose was found in their love of country and of protecting its freedom.
Having those values helped them to overcome their fears and make progress to the stated goals even though the dangers were immense.
It’s the same for us. When we submit to something bigger than ourselves we begin to fade in importance. Whatever happens to us is secondary to our purpose.
For those of you who are parents, would you have any fear chasing down someone who just snatched your child away from you? Of course not. We understand that their protection comes before our safety.
Even if you don’t have children, we all have our “babies.” These are the things entrusted to us to nurture and ensure their growth.
When you realize your purpose in life it produces a passion and urgency that surpasses your fear. You are willing to do anything for it because you not only love it, you know you are responsible for its fulfillment.
This is why I believe finding our purpose and living it out is so important. It causes us to reach forward in its promotion. Without it, we will retreat from any confrontation that comes our direction. I know, because that was me before I knew what I really had.
Take Away
It’s not always easy to find the courage to overcome our fears. But with these key techniques, it can be more achievable than you might originally believe.
With these simple strategies, you can begin to empower yourself.
I think a lack of courage often develops when we simply don’t feel prepared to handle the conflicts that test us. Hopefully, these three concepts can help you to be ready when those tests come your way.
Remember that your days are numbered. That urgency will inspire you with courage when you haven’t known it otherwise.
Become aware of who you really are as opposed to living through the lens of your ego. As you do, your desire for edification and comfort will begin to fade away. When you become free of your ego you are more likely to not be afraid of your own well being.
And, finally, find your purpose in something far bigger than yourself. As you do you will find yourself sacrificing nearly anything in order to fulfill it.
What can you begin to do TODAY to boost your courage?
Aaron Force is a blogger from Seattle, Washington. He writes to help others find their purpose, get unstuck, and impact the world. These goals are important to him because these were all struggles that he faced himself and knew the frustrations of first-hand. In the spring of 2015, he experienced a spiritual calling that clarified these questions for him. It is his purpose now to help others find that same clarity so that they too may begin to “live their most powerful life.”
Aaron Force is a blogger from Seattle, Washington. He writes to educate others about the nature of an expanded consciousness to evolve humanity. Aaron unexpectedly experienced his own profound awakening and ego transcendence in 2015 and soon understood that the qualities of his own experience (a greater expansion and evolution in his life) could be applied to mankind collectively.