"In order for there to be courage,
there needs to be risk.
It doesn't take courage to open up the refrigerator."
- Seth Godin
Can we teach people how to be brave? Can we learn how to be brave? Is there a science or a process behind it?
When we want something new to happen in our life, we need to do something we’ve never done before - whether it’s asking someone out on a date, raising our hand, posting an idea or creative work on a platform, etc.
A lot of the time, doing something we’ve never done before makes us so nervous that we may not end up doing it all. Putting ourselves out there requires courage and our willingness to be vulnerable.
In this three stop process, I share the science behind building new neural circuits that can help us override our fear of doing new and challenging things so that we can build up courage and bravery as a skill that we can learn - and then teach to others.
"Creativity requires courage."
- Henri Matisse
Once you've watched it, here is something you can try on as a new perspective when you are nervous about taking action on something:
I love that I have a person or situation where I can practice being vulnerable.
I am grateful I get a chance to open my heart and say what it is I truly want,
and then feel the nervousness of how it will be received.
Every time I have that nervousness, I am retraining my system
to recognize that as I put myself out there,
instead of being protective and guarded and shut down,
my heart gets to remember that it is in fact invincible.
Interesting and thought provoking, useful in offering me a method of talking to the fostered boy I live with whose fear and hyper vigilance get in the way of him trying anything new
Dear Stefanie, Your video was very useful for me as I have been very anxious recently for some circumstances happening in my life. So I got courage from your article an video. I am shy to talk about the details why I get so stressed out very often even for not big things. For example, when my menstruation period delays I become very stressed out. Or when I post something on Facebook and get some criticizing comments I cannot forget it for ages. I want to be brave and handle all them but cannot. I want to apply to some… Read more »