We can have fear without having courage but we cannot have courage without experiencing fear first.
By definition Merriam-Webster defines courage as mental or moral strength to venture, persevere, and withstand danger, fear or difficulty.
So in order to really live lives of courage we first have to recognize the fear in our lives and how it shows up.
This is going to be very different for every individual but recognizing and acknowledging our fear is the first and most critical step to living courageously.
More often than not we want to present to the world that we have our lives under control and fear is not an issue for us.
We never call our friends to meet for a cup of coffee or grab a beer to talk about our fears. We all put on our happy face and pretend all is well when, often, on the inside we are curled up in a ball under the covers because we’re afraid of what’s under the bed.
So, how does fear show up?
The over arching umbrella of how fear shows up is in avoidance. Let’s take a look at a few of the faces of avoidance:
- Lying – I hate to admit this but this was a practice I used on more than one occasion when I was growing up. If there was a test I had to take in school but I was afraid I wasn’t well prepared I would tell my mom I was sick.
- Excuses – This is the twin sibling of lying and the two are often found wearing the same outfits. I once managed a sales representative who needed to make a difficult call to a customer because he failed to deliver on a promise he had made to them. The customer reached out to me because he repeatedly hadn’t gotten back to them. When I called him he told me he was unable to call them because he had laryngitis. There’s more to the story but the simple point is he was making an excuse for not calling them.
- Rationalization – When faced with a fear-laced task requiring courage we can rationalize our way out of doing the task by rationalizing. Tomorrow will be a better day because I’ll be better prepared. I’ll talk to them next week because I know they have a busy week right now. I’m sure it’s nothing. I’ll go to the doctor next week.
- Denial – Simply convincing yourself you didn’t have any part or responsibility in an event or something that needs to be done means, at least in your head, that you don’t have to deal with the consequences of your actions. The words of former president Bill Clinton will be remembered forever, “I did not have sexual relations with that woman.”
These are just a few of the ways fear shows up through avoidance. There are so many more.
Want to become more courageous?
Recognize how fear shows up in your life.
Once you have this awareness of your avoidance behaviors you can begin to do something about them.
Once you have this awareness of your avoidance behaviors in your life you have a responsibility to do something about them.
How does fear show up in your life and how will you courageously face your avoidance behaviors?
Joshua 1:9
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Have a STRONG and COURAGEOUS day!
