Courage

What is courage? I've often been asked about where I get my courage from - the courage to start my own company, remain self-employed through ups and downs, move across the world, start new practices, change my name, follow my heart, skydiving, flying airplanes, driving motorcycles, what have you. 

To me it doesn't feel all that much like courage. Once I know in my heart that something is the right thing to do, it's difficult for me not to do it. Once I know in my heart that something has to change, I won't wait very long to execute it. Yes, there's discomfort, but discomfort is temporary. Yes, there's fear, but fear is actually fun if you don't listen to the story the fear is trying to tell you, but only stick with the sensation for fear. The sensation of fear is awesome - that's why people love roller coasters, right?

A few quotes from people wiser than I: 

Fritz Perls: "Fear is excitement without the breath."

Gay Hendricks: "Behind every conflict is a sweaty 10-minute conversation you don't want to have."

Mat Damon in We Bought a Zoo: "All it takes is 20 seconds of insane courage and great things will happen."

If you know that the discomfort and fear is temporary - which you do if you stop to think about it - and you know in your heart it's the right thing to do, then why would you want to hesitate, ever? Eat the damn frog! Just get it over with, so you can reap the rewards.

Each time you do, you'll grow bigger and stronger.

But each time you succumb to the fear, you'll get smaller, your soul will wither just a tiny bit more, and you end up having to drown out that inner pain in a few too many possessions and too much wine.