Have you ever found yourself standing at the edge of something you knew you needed to do—knowing you needed to step up or speak up or lean in and ‘take the leap’, yet hesitating and holding back?
I’ve been there.
Not just in life, but quite literally, on a trapeze platform!
I shared this somewhat embarrassing experience at a recent keynote speech to ‘Googlers’ at Google HQ.
Yet as uncomfortable (and professionally humiliating!) as that experience was, it drove home a deep truth:
Courage is a decision, not a feeling.
Heck, if I had waited to feel brave to do many of the best things I’ve done in my life, I’d still be waiting. My guess is that the same is true for you!
Yet there’s a misconception about courage that I often encounter. It’s that courage is an emotional state… a feeling… in which we feel brimming with bravado and all our doubts and misgivings have evaporated into thin air.
Not so.
The much lauded virtue of ‘courage’ isn’t an emotion we feel, it’s a decision we make. A decision to step forward amid the risks and the fear and the discomfort that generally accompanies breaking ranks with the status quo in pursuit of a better one.
As such, it’s also a learnable skill that we can develop. After all, we humans wouldn’t have sailed across oceans by starlight or landed on the moon without the capacity to take action despite your fear. It’s why I wrote my new book, The Courage Gap – to help people get more comfortable with being uncomfortable; embracing ‘the growing pains’ that come with moving toward a worthwhile endeavor, making a meaningful change, or rising to the challenges that life throws our way (if you haven’t had one lately, its coming!)
So, my challenge to you:
Identify something you know you need to do but have been putting off.
A conversation you’ve avoided? A decision you’ve delayed? A change you’ve resisted?
Imagine how your life could improve if you took action. Research shows that procrastination is really just a delaying tactic for avoiding the chance of failure. Yet over time, we actually create more stress for ourselves by delaying action than moving forward. It’s why peopel are three times more likely to regret the chance they did not take versus those they did! As I wrote in the Courage Gap, cold water doesn’t get warmer if you jump later.
Delaying action exacts an increasingly hidden ‘timidity tax.’
Here’s to you deciding to step into discomfort, interpreting it as a cue to move forward, not to retreat. And if you need some help, I have just the book for you! 🙂
Margie
Upcoming Events:
If you live in Washington DC or NYC, I have extra a few tickets for two upcoming book events – at Bezos Earth Fund in Washington DC (2/6) where I’ll be in conversation with the CEO of Time Magazine on closing the courage gap on climate change and the Australian Consulate in NYC (1/29). Please contact my team if you’d like to attend. Spots very limited.
Close the ‘Courage Gap’ in your Team:
If you’d like me to speak at your upcoming event about how to close the ‘courage gap’ in your team or organization, please reach out. More information on bulk orders here.
Preorder now to be among the first to hold your copy and take that brave first step. Don’t wait—your courage is calling!