Every fear is an opportunity to choose courage

 

Do you make it a daily practice to seek out new opportunities to choose courage?

 

Are you consistently asking yourself, “What might be the opportunity for courage right now?”

 

If we intend to make friends with our fear, so that its energy becomes our ally rather than our enemy, we will need to, step by step, train ourselves to see and experience fear as an opportunity to choose courage.

 

The opportunities

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Fear is always an opportunity for courage.

 

And, within that opportunity are three sub-opportunities:

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1. the opportunity to embrace and “breathe into” the energy of the fear.

2. the opportunity to express appreciation to yourself and to your five-year-old within, for embracing the fear and for taking the action, regardless of the outcome.

3. the opportunity to take action. In some circumstances, there is no new action to take; the courage consists simply of embracing the fear and honoring yourself for doing that.

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Partially visible fear

 

Sometimes resisted fear presents itself as partially visible, as in the expressions of:

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• anxiety

• worry

• defensiveness

• shyness

• embarrassment

• hesitancy or timidness

• jealousy

• feeling foolish.

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Subterranean fear

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But more often, resisted fear hides behind a heavy cloak, as in the expressions of:

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• resentment

• complaining

• blaming others

• guilt or blaming ourselves

• thinking that something is wrong

• trying to make the right decision

• trying to do it the right way

• working hard

• trying to prove something

• thinking that you're not good enough

• thinking that you're not smart enough

• stress and tension

• perfectionism

• depression

• cynicism

• hatred

• laziness

• lack of interest in things

• low self-esteem

• feeling overwhelmed

• indecisiveness 

• procrastination

• shame 

• feeling betrayed

• over-controlling

• lying

• maintaining a good mask

• lack of vulnerability

• boredom

• crankiness

• resignation

• impatience

• insensitivity

• defensiveness

• over-protectiveness

• obsessiveness

• stubbornness 

• inflexibility

• self-consciousness

• animosity

• ingratitude

• arrogance

• showing disrespect

• envy

• petulance

• righteousness

• hostility

• rebelliousness

• rudeness

• whining

• trying

• always keeping busy

 

Review the opportunities

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Take a few moments to ask yourself how each of these expressions often involve a resistance to fear.

 

There are so many opportunities for courage! There are so many opportunities for self-discovery!

 

Identify at least three opportunities for courage each day.

 

And then use them!