I Wish I Had the Courage to…

“Courage doesn’t always roar. Sometimes courage is the silent voice at the end of the day that says ‘I will try again tomorrow’.” ~ Mary Anne Radmacher

I was talking to a friend yesterday and they said I wish I had the courage you have Jane. Well let me share a little secret, I still have fear and doubt in my world! Yes, seriously…

However today I have a different relationship with fear than what I had in the past. Today, I accept and allow fear to be present in my life instead of resisting it and pretending it is not there. I also remember what I learnt in the book, The Top Five Regrets of the Dying: A Life Transformed by the Dearly Departing that was written by Bronnie Ware.

What Are the Five Regrets of the Dying?

The top five regrets from the book, The Top Five Regrets of the Dying: A Life Transformed by the Dearly Departing by Bronnie Ware were –

1. I wish I’d had the courage to live a life true to myself, not the life others expected of me;
2. I wish I didn’t work so hard;
3. I wish I’d had the courage to express my feelings;
4. I wish I had stayed in touch with my friends; and
5. I wish that I had let myself be happier.

I Wish I Had the Courage to…

After reading the book, I realised I needed courage to be responsible for my life and do what I wanted to do in my life, so I could live a whole-hearted life. What do you wish you had the courage to do?

Maybe you wish you had the courage to –

• Give yourself permission to love what you do. Yes YOU! “Don’t ask yourself what the world needs. Ask yourself what makes you come alive and then go do that. Because what the world needs is people who have come alive.” ~ Howard Thurman
• Keep your promises. Follow-through on what you say you are going to do and only promise on things that align with your values and who you are.
• Be 100% responsible for your life. Truly! Be responsible for everything that is happening in your life – if you do not like what is happening – remember you have a choice.
• Ask for help. Remember, none of us can do life independently, so if you require some help and extra support, why not ask for it?
• Not take things personally. As Wayne Dyer says ~ “How people treat you is their karma; how you react is yours.”
• Be grateful. Truly acknowledge and appreciate the different situations in your life. I have found many diamonds in my rough times over the years. What have you found?
• Be the change. “Be a reflection of what you’d like to see in others! If you want love, give love, if you want honesty, give honesty, if you want respect, give respect. You get in return, what you give!” ~ Unknown
• Let go. Yes, I know letting go or letting be can be challenging, however “In the process of letting go you will lose many things from the past, but you will find yourself.” ~ Deepak Chopra
• Be vulnerable. “There can be no vulnerability without risk; there can be no community without vulnerability; there can be no peace, and ultimately no life, without community.” ~ M. Scott Peck
• Be honest with yourself. If you cannot be honest with yourself, then who can you be honest with?
• Aim for progress, not perfection. Let go of perfectionism and have the courage to be imperfect.
• Focus on what you can control. We cannot control other people, so focus on what you can control – which is how you are feeling in this moment!
• Practice self-care. Yes you have needs (e.g. financial, social, physical, environmental and emotional) and they need looking after, so focus on them.
• Choose love over fear. 
• Practice emotional intelligence.
• Start your business, write a book or start a relationship.

The Courage Wall

Whilst researching for this article, I found that Nancy Belmont created a giant “Courage Wall” in Alexandria, Va. What a great idea! Nancy said she was inspired by the following Ted Talk by Candy Chang and you can read more about her story here.

Reflection…

What insights did you receive after watching the video or reading the above words? Is there an action you wish you had the courage to do, so you can take the next step towards living a whole-hearted life?

Feel free to share your responses below in the comments section.

Remember –

“Whatever you do, you need courage. Whatever course you decide upon, there is always someone to tell you that you are wrong. There are always difficulties arising that tempt you to believe your critics are right.” ~ Ralph Waldo Emerson

If you are ready to take yourself on the adventure of getting to know yourself (your true self), why not join the Toolkit? A place where I share tools, inspiration and ideas to live a courageous and openhearted life.

Reference –

Ware, B. (2011). The Top Five Regrets of the Dying: A Life Transformed by the Dearly Departing. Sydney, Australia: Hay House.