On Courage (Blog Post) · Be The Dude

On Courage (Blog Post)

I've been thinking lately about courage.

What makes us brave? Is courage an internal feeling, like an emotion that arises from a thought?

Or is it more external? Something we can access at our choosing; something we can tap into?

What got me thinking about this is my continuous engagement with guys on Instagram. It happens weekly, multiple times, where I will see guys act in courage by reaching out to me, responding to an ad with the word "change", or saying "I'd like to learn more about your coaching. I need help."

That takes courage, but what happens after that?

9/10 they vanish, or like the cool kids say, they "ghost" me.

Now, I attribute the initial reaching out as emotional courage; a ten second feeling of, "just do it." The act of engaging itself gives us this dopamine hit. We engaged. We DID something, right?

Not exactly.

It's the moments after that burst of courage that matter more.

Was there actually a decision to make a change, or just a gut reaction, prompted by my call to action, that made them pull the trigger?

The latter is more likely so.

To me, this seems like a courage that is fleeting; one that we can't harness ourselves, but is more like a feeling that fades.

I don't want that.

I want to harness courage. I want it to shape me. I want to BE courageous.

That's an intentional way of being that only comes through consistent practice in taking action on things that scare us.

A true courageous act in this case would be to move forward with coaching because you want to be in control of your transformation. Otherwise, life will continue doing its thing - beating you down until you hit rock bottom and are forced to make a move.

Reactive vs. Taking Action.

No thanks. I don't want that.

So how do we cultivate a life of courage outside of understand the principle of doing things that scare us?

Should you go jump out of a plane, or sign up for a bull fight in Spain?

Nah, that's chasing adrenaline.

We need things that will shape us.

Grow us.

Challenge us.

Developing courage starts in the home.

It starts in engaging in that difficult conversation with your wife.

Confessing sin.

Being vulnerable enough to show people the real you.

That's courageous.

Being unashamed of the Gospel, sharing it with those you feel are smarter than you, no matter the ridicule you may receive.

Sometimes being courageous isn't taking action at all, but having the faith that God will move in an area of your life that you've been struggling with; consistently praying for an outcome that you have no control over. That's how we war in the spiritual battle.

How do you develop courage?

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