Courage – What’s In It For You?

Courage is a curious thing. Those who have it need not have it explained. Those who do not have it don’t understand it at all. Courage is not the absence of fear. Nor is it fearlessness. Nor is it bravery. Courage – What’s In It For You

People with courage have just as much fear as the next person.

Osho explains it like this: “In the beginning there is not much difference between the coward and the courageous person. The only difference is, the coward listens to his fears and follows them, and the courageous person puts them aside and goes ahead. The courageous person goes into the unknown in spite of all his fears.”

When you have courage, going into unknown, uncharted territory is an adventure. There is a thrill to it. Every fiber in your body begins to bristle. You feel so very much alive. Courage – What’s In It For You

To accept the challenge of the unknown in spite of all your fears is courage.

You feel strong, you feel a sense of integrity, and you feel very, very sharp. Exchanging the familiar for the unfamiliar is an adrenaline rush on all levels.

Courageous people are always seeking adventure in all that they do. But it isn’t just something you do – it’s a way of being.

Isn’t Life One Big Adventure? Courage – What’s In It For You

Life is totally unpredictable isn’t it? We have no idea what will happen from one minute to the next. Despite our best efforts to plan, schedule, and organize, life is totally random on all levels.

Yet, we’re taught to seek security and stability in order to feel safe and protected.

Helen Keller wrote: “Security is mostly a superstition. It does not exist in nature, nor do the children of men as a whole experience it. Avoiding danger in the long run is no safer than outright exposure. Life is either a daring adventure, or nothing.”Helen Keller wrote: “Security is mostly a superstition. It does not exist in nature, nor do the children of men as a whole experience it. Avoiding danger in the long run is no safer than outright exposure. Life is either a daring adventure, or nothing.” Courage – What’s In It For You

It’s interesting that we’re taught to seek out something that doesn’t exist. How can we ever find something that isn’t even there?

Courage: Living From the Heart

The word “courage” is also interesting. It comes from the Latin “cor” which means “of the heart.” To be courageous means to live from the heart.

To live with courage means to embrace the known insecurity of life and live in it, with love and trust. Those who live with their head full of the known and seek safety and security cannot live life to the full. They can never be fully alive.

The way forward for humanity is in listening to the heart consciously, alertly, and attentively, and to follow where it leads you. Courage – What’s In It For You

Will you make mistakes? Yes. Will you make errors of judgement? Yes. Will you have to start over from time to time? Of course.

And in all that you do, you will learn, you will grow, your confidence and competence will rise, and you will become infinitely wiser because of it.

Courage: Being Decisive

Making mistakes is inevitable. It’s how we learn and develop experience. We just need to avoid making the same mistakes twice. That shows that we learned from the first time.

Instead, head into the unknown. Be decisive and take action. If something doesn’t work, learn from that, make a new decision, and take a different action. The faster you go, the quicker you learn what’s right and what’s not. Courage – What’s In It For You

Courage thrives in a fast moving, decisive environment.

Life itself thrives in a fast moving, decisive environment. If you want to live a memorable and exciting life, keep moving.

Courage Helps You Avoid Anxiety

You only need to ponder a problem long enough to understand it. Once you understand it, decide on a course of action and implement it without delay.

Too many people spend too much time with worry. What is worry other than a form of anxiety about a problem that grows exponentially in proportion to the number of times you think about it? Even knowing that, most people suffer immeasurable anxiety on a daily basis. Courage – What’s In It For You

If you develop courage – courage to face a challenge, make a decision, take action, and resolve it – everything changes.

You only need to think about a challenge long enough to understand it. Then make a decision about it and immediately take action on that decision. Any anxiety you may be suffering about your challenge evaporates in that moment.

Live the Adventure

Both in life and in business, fortune favors the courageous. Courage encourages us to live in the moment, to be alive. Not to dwell on the past or to waste time worrying about the future.

Those who make a conscious effort to develop their courage will always live a vibrant, exciting, life. Courage – What’s In It For You

Life is nothing more than a collection of experiences. You have the choice of making them exciting, vibrant, memorable experiences or not.

You have the choice of making a handful of experiences or countless thousands of experiences.

Listen to your heart. What does your heart choose?

Courage will ensure that you will live a most fulfilling life. You won’t get everything right. You’ll stumble and fall, but you won’t care about that because you will always rise, and your life will become a daring adventure – an exciting, vibrant, memorable adventure. Courage – What’s In It For You

8 Ways to Find Deeper Meaning in Life

There’s more to life than just going to work, eating dinner, maintaining your home, and watching TV. Even people that are obsessed with their careers can feel like their life is flat and lacks real meaning. 8 Ways to Find Deeper Meaning in Life

You might be lucky enough to find true meaning from your work, but most of us desire greater fulfillment.

We’re all searching for some kind of meaning from life.

But, how do you find it?

Use these tips to find greater meaning in your day-to-day life:

1. Volunteer. Put your attention on others, and you’ll feel better overall. It feels good to help other people, to make a difference in someone else’s life, and your life will feel more meaningful as a result. 8 Ways to Find Deeper Meaning in Life

2. Live by your values. When you ignore your values, it’s easy for your life to get off track. You quickly find yourself living a life that doesn’t fulfill you. List your values and make your decisions based on your values.

3. Spend more time with others. It’s not that you can’t have a meaningful life without other people, but it’s less likely. We’re programmed to be part of a community. It wasn’t that long ago that it was impossible for a human to survive on his own. People can add meaning to life. 8 Ways to Find Deeper Meaning in Life

4. Strip away the excess. It’s easy to get caught up in the little things that don’t matter. Go through your house and get rid of everything except the things you need or love. Do the same with your social circle and activities. If you don’t need it or love it, let it go.

5. What brings you joy? The more time you spend on things that bring you joy, the more meaningful your life will feel to you. Make a list of the things that you enjoy and schedule more of those activities into your life.

6. Be part of something that is bigger than yourself. What do you think is really important? Saving the whales? The environment? Helping needy children? Homelessness? Find a cause that you find highly meaningful and give it your all. 8 Ways to Find Deeper Meaning in Life

7. Be grateful. Nothing feels quite like gratefulness. It’s a warm, calming feeling. Spend a few minutes each day and make a list of everything that makes you feel grateful. Try to identify at least one new thing each day.

8. Consider all the people that benefit from your existence. There are a lot of people that might depend on you. 8 Ways to Find Deeper Meaning in Life

> The customers that your business serves

> The people in your family, especially your spouse/partner and children

> Your aging parents

> Your coworkers

> Your friends

> These are just a few of the people that need you each day. Make a list of all the people that depend on you.

Believing that your life has meaning has real implications on your physical and mental health.

Multiple studies on those over 65 years of age have shown that those who believe their life has meaning score better on mental and physical health questionnaires. They also show higher cognitive function.

As you age, it becomes increasingly important to your wellbeing that you live a life with purpose. 8 Ways to Find Deeper Meaning in Life

You don’t have to save the world to find deeper meaning in your life. Notice the contributions that you’re already making. Create a life that you find meaningful and it will also bring you more joy, happiness, and fulfillment.

Goal Setting Tips Based on Science

Goal setting seems simple on the surface. You define what you’d like to accomplish and take the necessary steps to make those accomplishments a reality. Setting and achieving a goal is more than simply deciding and wishing. Each year, millions of people set New Year’s resolutions. Few of those people are still on track after just 10 days. Goal Setting Tips Based on Science

If setting and achieving goals were easy, there would be more happy, successful people running around. How many people do you know that are happy and pleased with their lives? Not very many. You can be one of the few people you know to master setting and achieving goals.

Set goals and achieve them more reliably:

1. Set goals that are meaningful. Many people waste their time with goals that don’t mean very much to them. Life is short, so create goals that fill you with excitement when you think about achieving them. Reaching any goal requires change, and humans are innately resistant to change. Big changes require a lot of motivation. Set goals that mean a lot to you. Goal Setting Tips Based on Science

2. Use small, incremental behavioral changes. Change can be done easily if the changes are small. This requires patience.

> Imagine someone attempting to make an overnight change from a diet of fast food, soda, potato chips, and ice cream to one of beans, vegetables, and fruit. Their mind and body would revolt. It would be far easier to make small changes each week until the transformation is complete.

3. Be accountable. Rewards are pleasant and work if the reward continues. Behavioral changes tend to extinguish when rewards are no longer provided. It can be more effective to make yourself accountable for your poor behavior. For example, each time you skip going to the gym, you give $10 to a charity you don’t like or you wash a friend’s car.

> Negative consequences are more motivating for most people. Use this fact to your advantage. How could you punish yourself for non-compliance? Make a list of at least 10 ways. Goal Setting Tips Based on Science

4. Keep goals believable. Is it possible to increase your earnings from $50k this year to $1 million? It’s possible, but it’s not likely. And if you believe it’s unlikely, you’re unlikely to even try. The perfect goal is challenging, but not so challenging that you feel overwhelmed.

5. Track your progress. Measuring your progress is extremely important. It provides information on how well you’re doing. You can’t know if you’re making progress toward your goal if you don’t measure it. You can shift your strategy if you realize that you’re not doing well.

> It can also provide a boost of enthusiasm and positivity. When you’re making progress, you feel excited.

6. Be prepared for setbacks. Achieving any goal is rarely a smooth process. There will be bad days with poor results. Rather than reject your goal when the going gets tough, be prepared for failures. Goal Setting Tips Based on Science

> Have a plan in place to deal with failure and frustration. You might call a friend or remind yourself of the purpose of achieving the goal. Reviewing your success so far can also help.

> It also pays to take preventative action. For example, if you know you’re likely to cheat on your diet later in the evening, have some healthy snacks available that you enjoy. Or head to bed earlier and enjoy some extra free time in the morning.

Goals are necessary if you want to consciously change your life. Everything else is a matter of luck and circumstance. Most people struggle to set and achieve goals. Set and pursue goals intelligently. You’ll be pleasantly surprised by the results.

Goal Setting Tips Based on Science