Back to: Day 23 – Action
Let me tell you a secret: there are two types of courage.
I know what you’re thinking. Lauren, that’s silly. Courage is courage. You have it or you don’t.
But everything has a yin and a yang. The yin side of courage is the courage to look inwards. To face your deepest fears. The courage to be vulnerable, to recognize your shame and accept it. This is the type of courage that we’ve been working with thus far.
The yang side of courage is the courage of action. The courage to speak your mind, to do something difficult, to not be a bystander.
Some people have an easier time finding the courage to look inward, and some people find the courage to act much easier. They are equally important.
Now that you’ve formed a foundation of yin courage, it’s time to bring that into the world by finding your yang courage.
One Small Act of Courage
Action happens on your own terms, at your own pace. So, this isn’t a 10-20 minute journaling prompt or meditation. This is a practice to be integrated into your daily life, as frequently as you can.
Instead of (or in addition to) performing one small act of kindness a day, you will perform one small act of courage a day.
When I say small, I mean really small. There’s a fine line between being brave and taking a gamble, being egotistical, or being just plain stupid. Starting small will help your subconscious distinguish between bravery and its poisonous lookalikes. Here’s some ideas:
- text someone you’ve been putting off reaching out to
- pitch your idea to your boss
- say hi to a stranger you think looks cool
- make a meal from a cuisine you’ve never attempted to cook
- invest a little bit of money
- practice your embarrassing Spanish at the local taco shop
- tell your crush you think they’re cute
- buy something a little bit out of your budget just because you want to (once in a while)
Effects: You’ll start to notice the happy hormones that are released each time you act from a place of bravery. You’ll be more confident. Your fears will hold less and less power over you. Eventually, you’ll perform the occasional courageous act that will be bigger than normal. It takes a while, so keep trying. Don’t kick yourself if you miss a day – just keep going.