How to Become More Courageous and Braver

When we speak of bravery, this does not mean to act with aggression or accomplish physical feats. But, it means to go beyond your mental blocks, fears, comfort zone, and take risks. Sometimes, it is as simple as trying something new (a new dress, a new route to reach home, a new recipe, etc.).

Let us start with some questions that have always helped me take the risk of change to create a new life:

• How do you want to have lived your life when you are in your last days and look back?
• What’s the worst that can happen? And if it happened, what would you do?
• What’s the point of settling for a life/work/relationship etc., if it doesn’t make you happy?
• Who are you going to become if you take a chance and bet on yourself?

In my case, every time I have asked myself these questions and have answered them in writing (I advise you to do the same), I have been so clear about what was important in my life that the courage to leave the known has flowed effortlessly.

Being brave means accepting the challenge of stepping into the unknown despite the fears we all have.

Courage moves us forward

It is not that brave people are not afraid, but that a brave person continues to walk despite fear. Fear is a primary emotion and we all feel it. In fact, on many occasions, fear helps us and prevents us from getting into trouble. It is fear that prevents you from entering a cage of lions or walking at night through a dangerous neighborhood. However, fear sometimes limits us too much, and that is when we have to be brave and overcome whatever comes our way.

Let us first understand fear. Fear is of two types – authentic and inauthentic. It is authentic when someone is holding a knife and you can get hurt but it is inauthentic when you are afraid of speaking your mind to your boss. Therefore, fear is good when the danger is real but it is just a limiting factor in most other cases.

Someone with a fear of rejection may not be able to get close to that person that they like so much. Another person who is afraid of failure rejects that job that he likes so much because he does not feel capable. In either case, both people are failing before they start. They have been paralyzed with fear. Therefore, courage is our best strength to overcome fears definitively.

Therefore, being brave means moving, overcoming circumstances, and betting that you can overcome the situation. Thus, without courage, we cannot succeed or learn from our mistakes. Courage allows us to move, it allows us to grow. Also, as soon as we are once brave, everything becomes a little easier. Much easier than if, we live in hiding, paralyzed by fear.

Bravery is despite fear and not without it

You may have experienced unpleasant circumstances, your fear may be very great and you may not feel capable of overcoming it. The fact is, brave people are the ones who are most afraid, but they dare to overcome it. He is not brave who takes a plane without fear of flying since it does not pose any challenge. To be brave you have to be afraid, you have to want to continue despite it.

Therefore, to be brave, you first have to be afraid. The greatness of the feat does not matter to see how brave you have been, but how great your fear is. Each person has some fears and concerns, listening to them and overcoming them will be the first step to being more courageous.

How to be brave

The first step to being brave is to know what you are afraid of. This may seem very simple, but sometimes we hide so much from fear that we end up fooling ourselves.

We must be sincere and have that capacity for introspection that allows us to know ourselves more and be aware of our fears, shortcomings, and virtues.

With that in mind, the following are the tips to work on yourself to be more courageous.

Be open and honest about your fears

One of the first steps to being braver is recognizing the fact that you lack courage in the first place!

To be more courageous, you must be open and honest about your fears as we have mentioned earlier. This means being honest with yourself, as well as with others who are close to you. When it comes to being honest, it is important to face the facts.

Usually, fear is inauthentic and there is no real danger. But to us, it may seem real. Therefore, acknowledge that fear is a mental block that you have and that you need to overcome; it is not something that is out there in the physical world.

Once you know that you need to be brave, ask these questions to yourself:

• What are you most afraid of?
• Why are you afraid of this particular object, person, or event?
• What can you do to overcome this fear?

Once you accept your fears, you can develop a strategy to overcome them.

It is also important to have a conversation with other people about your fears. Be honest with them about your fears and let them know that you are going to fight them but that you need extra support to build up the courage to face them. Sometimes just a little conversation can lead to big results when it comes to developing your skills and becoming a stronger, more courageous individual.

Guide yourself with the heart (what you feel) and not with the conditioned mind (what you think).

Remember at all times that security does not exist. Even if you think, you have a safe and stable life, at any moment it can change. So when you feel the call to the new (and this happens to all of us), accept it with enthusiasm and follow it instead of waiting for life to force you to change due to some adverse circumstance.

Focus your thoughts on what you are going to achieve

The fear of losing the familiar or the known can be the biggest obstacle to trying a change in life. For example, leaving a stable job or supposed financial security. What happens with your mind is that it makes you believe that the unknown is no better than what you currently know. However, our success and happiness can be found in the unknown.

In reality, nothing is ever lost when you decide to be braver. Everything that is seemingly lost in the transition comes back into your life with an improved version (I am telling you from experience). What you are going to lose are the fears, mental barriers, and limiting beliefs that are of no use to you.

To be brave is to know ourselves

Take the time that is necessary to observe and recognize each of your strengths and who you are as a person. In addition to seeing, the aspects that you may require for your personal growth and enhance courage.

Another tip to be more courageous is to work disciplined in the areas that you can improve or go to others to reinforce what is needed.

Let go of what you can’t control

It takes a lot of courage to be courageous in life and therefore, this point is very fundamental. It is very easy to wait for other people to make a change so that we can improve our situation. Longing for the universe to give us a break is easy, especially if we think that when this happens, our happiness will come.

This is not the case, since each individual has responsibility for his or her own life. Many of the scenarios include the option of wanting the other to change; however, you must observe what you can control in each situation.

For example, you probably have a boss who makes useless criticisms, for us the simplest thing would be to think that the change should be made by the boss. However, this is out of your control. You simply have the power to control your reaction, when you are around that person and possibly react by changing your workplace.

Discipline is essential to be brave

Be a disciplined person, since to become more courageous it is important to work on personal discipline. In facing our fears, you must hold yourself accountable when you stumble and step back (if necessary).

A disciplined person can understand what he hopes to achieve and determine each of his goals. To act boldly and take greater risks requires self-discipline and thus successfully getting out of the comfort zone.

Through discipline, you can understand your goals and achieve them. To the extent that we work our confidence and act with courage, it will be easier to face failure. You will probably be able to face opposition and adversity.

Learn to defend what you believe and face setbacks. This is another tip to be brave daily. With discipline, you can stay focused on achieving your goals, face your fears and be a more courageous person.

Free yourself from your attachment to unhappiness

Human beings have assumed that it is normal to be unhappy people. Out of apathy we conform, we justify ourselves, we complain and we end up blaming others. Each of these habits prevents us from being brave, on many occasions.

Understand that you have a right to happiness and that stepping out of your comfort zone can permanently stun you, thanks to the wonders of life. Starting a new adventure to explore the unknown is clear proof of being alive.

Replace uncertainty with freedom

To be a truly free and fearless person, it is essential to be courageous. As you exercise courage, you can feel more satisfaction and your life will improve dramatically. You need to trust yourself; a good option would be to look for a partner to support the change. Act with confidence and embrace the unknown. Do not forget that everything involves learning and that you can face every situation in life.

At no time are you going to regret betting and trusting yourself. There is a greater probability of regretting not having been a more risky and courageous person. Stop waiting for the arrival of new opportunities, since you can create them yourself.

Do not wait any longer and leave the doubt, to be brave and happy

Designing a plan is essential

It is possible that in your life you want to achieve something, for example, you want to take a trip to another continent or start a new business. To achieve this there is no secret, you simply have to establish a plan, and otherwise, what you want will only remain in dreams.

Over time, you will come to feel a bit of resentment for not giving your dreams the focus, attention, and energy you need. You can even end up blaming life circumstances for not fulfilling those dreams.

Try to praise yourself for having completed a fantastic job, give yourself permission to acknowledge and enjoy each of your efforts. Choose to be brave every day!

I assure you that when you experience the deep joy that freedom and overcoming fears produce, you will never want a safe and comfortable life again because you will know what it means to really live with intensity.

Let yourself be surprised by life! Do not settle for less than you deserve. Challenge yourself right now and choose to be brave.