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“Life shrinks or expands in proportion to one’s courage” – Anais Nin
The above quote is short but it says so much about the limits that we place on ourselves and the beliefs that hold back our progress. If you want a rich and fulfilling life you will have to be willing to embrace challenges. This is true at the macro level as well as the micro level, and doesn’t necessarily require heroic acts of bravery. It can be the small, everyday choices that we make that can force us outside of our comfort zone. Facing challenges opens new possibilities that would be absent if we had never confronted our fears. From making new friends to traveling the world, every act that will expand our horizons and enrich our lives requires an element of courage.
Conversely, allowing fear to limit our possibilities and dictate our future will lead to stagnation, missed opportunities and unfulfilled dreams. I enjoy the quote “Many a false step was made by standing still” because it highlights the fact that many lives have been wasted and much potential has been squandered when people let fear keep them from moving forward with their goals and dreams. We will always regret the risks we failed to take more than the risks we took and failed.
Many people have the concept of bravery completely backwards. Courage isn’t the absence of fear. In fact, it’s quite the opposite. If you felt no fear you would have no need for courage. True courage and bravery mean facing your fear and overcoming it, refusing to let this primal emotion dictate your opportunities and hold you back from your potential despite the risks involved. The bravest among us are petrified to act but allow their feet to move forward despite the objections of their brain. In fact, the less afraid you are, the less brave you need to be.
As you reflect on the words of Anais Nin, consider which areas of your own life have you feeling constrained. What have you always wanted to do but have struggled to take the necessary leap? What makes you anxious but would improve your prospects? Also ask yourself what you would like your ideal life to look like in 5 years, and then work backwards thinking about each step along the way where fear could become on obstacle. Writing it out on paper can help you to visualize your path forward, and thinking through everything in a physical format makes those scary challenges more difficult to dismiss.
Podcast I have been enjoying:
Mindset Mentor Podcast. Rob Dial is a blogger, podcaster, professional life coach and the author of Level Up: How to Get Focused, Stop Procrastinating, and Upgrade Your Life. I learned about Rob through his book, but it has been his podcast that has become a part of my daily routine. The episodes are short, usually between 10 and 20 minutes, and Rob covers topics like improving your mindset, how to overcome your negative emotions, and tips for keeping calm in stressful situations. He’s direct and doesn’t sugarcoat things, telling his audience the truth about the excuses they tell themselves and the need to take ownership over your life. Here is a link to his latest episode: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CyKGnbBCfds
JP
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