Finding the Courage to Live Your WHY

Do you desire a life of purpose and meaning, a fulfilled life, not just a full life? I thought so, me too.A full life is a jam-packed life, where your days, evenings, nights, and weekends are all stuffed full. The problem is, in spite of all of the activity, you feel depleted. Empty of time, energy, peace, joy, and true contentment.Who wants that? Not me.Contrast that to a fulfilled life that provides you with a deep sense of satisfaction. That gratification comes from making a positive contribution and impact on the world around you, not because you are busy grabbing all you can to indulge an endless list of wants, whims, and wishes.Let’s assume you have invested the time and found clarity about your WHY. You have discovered, or are discovering your life purpose. (I explored avenues to clarity in this post.) If you have, great! Clarity is the starting point, but it’s certainly not all you need for Living Your WHY.[clickToTweet tweet="You can have all the clarity in the world, but if you are cowardly, you will never see any impact." quote="You can have all the clarity in the world, but if you are cowardly, you will never make any impact."]

No Action = No Impact!

Now that you have clarity regarding your direction and possibly your destination, you need the courage to follow it. Clarity is essential, but it is no guarantee that you will ever leave your comfort zone to venture into the unknown that lies between your present and your future.Clarity may result in paralysis.

For the over-thinkers, the paralysis is the result of the endless analysis. It’s our desire to consider all of the options, list and weigh the pros and cons, and then narrow those options and create a list of criteria by which to assess the best next step. The result? No action and no impact.

If you are a perfectionist, the paralysis may be the result of believing that there is only one right next step to take, and you must make it flawlessly, or you have ruined any chance of getting to the finish line. The result? No action, no impact.

For the planners, the paralysis comes when you confuse planning with action. As long as you stay in your bubble and write your plan, then perfect the plan only to rewrite it because you realized you used faulty assumptions. Guess what happens? Nothing! Again, no action and no impact.

Then they are the visionaries, especially those who gain a glimpse of something so gigantic and global in scale, scope, and impact that they are instantly overwhelmed and begin questioning their capacity to steward that vision to fulfillment. The bigger the vision, the louder the doubts. And guess what happens to them too? You got it: No action = no impact!

Regardless of the source of your paralysis, how do you get past it? Well, it takes courage.[clickToTweet tweet="You need courage to follow your dream, to step out and see it come to life. " quote="You need courage! Courage to follow your dream and step out to see it come to life. "]What is courage? We know courage when we see it in others, but struggle to find it for ourselves. The word courage comes from Old French corage meaning heart or innermost feelings.I see courage as first a heartset that directs a mindset. You know what a mindset is; it’s the beliefs you hold about yourself and your most basic qualities. But what is a heartset?A heartset is the beliefs you hold about your aspirations and dreams — what you believe to be possible and available in your life.Your mindset is anchored to something. It could be anchored to the voice of doubt, criticism, and limiting beliefs that only lock you in and prevent your growth. Or, you can align and anchor your mindset to your heartset so that they are synchronized like a sculling team and advancing you towards your destination.Are we agreed that you need courage? Awesome! Now, where do you get it?

Mustering Courage

To believe that courage is the absence of fear is to misunderstand courage. It would be foolish to wait for all of your fears to subside before venturing out. Learn from courageous leaders like Nelson Mandela who spoke out against the politics and prejudice of apartheid.

I learned that courage was not the absence of fear, but the triumph over it. The brave man is not he who does not feel afraid, but he who conquers that fear.

Courage rises as you realize there is something greater, something more important than the fear that grips you. Set your eyes on the prize so that the gravitational pull of your goal is stronger than the fear that seeks to hold you in its grip.Courage often comes from within, but it can be inspired or imparted from others. Some people have an abundance of courage. Their courage is contagious. Being around them bolsters your courage. These people are encouragers. They literally “pour courage into others.” Find your encouragers and spend ample time in their presence.

Taking A Courageous Next Step

All bold action involves risk. Even if you see clearly the next step to take, you cannot eliminate all of the risks. There are, and always will be unknowns and uncertainties. Sooner or later, you will have to exercise the courage to accomplish anything of value. The greater the impact, the more courage required.Courage realizes that Living Your WHY is worth the risks, whatever those risks may be. I recall vividly the day I realized the greatest risk I would take was to take no risk at all. I began taking risks. At first, they were small, calculated risks. The rewards proved worthy of the risks and allowed me to take even greater risks. That builds confidence, and confidence is the third of our 4Cs. [clickToTweet tweet="Courage is the boldness to move in the direction of your WHY in spite of the unknown + uncertain." quote="Courage is the boldness to move in the direction of your WHY in spite of the unknown and uncertain."]Courage is not the absence of fear or the denial of risks; it is the fortitude and fearlessness to move forward in spite of them. Identify the next action step you can take that will move you in the direction of your WHY.And if you muster enough courage, post your next step in the comments section below.Shoutouts:Photo credit: Haywire Media, secured through depositphotos.com.