A Formula For Courage
True courage is displayed when we are able to gather the mental and moral strength to face challenging endeavors head-on with the knowledge that we are supported in our actions.
My formula for courage is self-belief that spurs us to take action, and then interpreting the results of those actions from a place of strength and a desire to do it all over again. If you replace self-belief with self-doubt, there is no possibility for action. We default to our comfort zones. This paralysis becomes a self-perpetuating loop where we lose out, and the world does not benefit from our gifts.
Each part of this courage equation can embolden us to break out of this loop:
Self-belief: For courage to be lasting and effortless, we need to validate ourselves first. This is why believing in your superpowers is so critical.
Action: From here, we can try something with the full knowledge we are supported with our own gifts. Sometimes that action can even take the form of realizing when we need to move on or let go.
Holistic learnings: This is a shift from zero-sum hard metrics where we regret, or beat ourselves up, to a holistic view of what we have achieved including soft metrics. Soft metrics empower us to understand what went well, find opportunities to discover new approaches, and come away with lessons learned for the future, building strengths and capabilities we may not have even known we had.
This framework cultivates a mindset that allows us to step out, or turn disappointing experiences into growth moments. We recycle experience into growth and redemption, more capable of handling the next challenge.
