Friday, June 13, 2014

Fearlessness vs Courage

“The hero and the coward both feel the same thing.  But the hero uses his fear, projects it onto his opponent.  While the coward runs.  It’s the same thing FEAR, but it’s what you do with it that matters.” - Cus D'Amato

     Everyone feels fear, not one person is immune to it.  It’s a primitive response that is ingrained in all of us.  All sorts of fears arise in our lives, be it heights, snakes, public speaking, failure, success, whatever it may be.  We feel it both psychologically and mentally.  Some people will freeze while others with be called to action.  We also have a biological response to it that will dump adrenaline into our blood stream that will put us in a heightened state of alert.  But again, some freeze while others act.  It’s these moments that people confuse with fearlessness.  It’s the fear that they are able to harness that presents itself as courage.  Courage is our ability and willingness to confront fear, pain, danger, uncertainty, or intimidation and act against those items.  Courage comes from those moments where you look fear in the eye and go for it.  It doesn’t matter if it’s on a field of play, battle or taking a leap on your own into a new business venture or job.  But you’re willing to push through, fueling yourself with that fear that would crumble others. Embracing the uncomfortable feeling of fear that is in all of us to act, it’s your choice.  It’s that fear that lets you know truly how alive you are.

     That all being said, fearlessness is a myth.  I said it.  Didn’t mean to burst any bubbles there, but it is.  It is something that we as outsiders perceive to be true.  But it truly isn’t real.  No one person is without fear.  It’s just those that are able to harness that fear and use it to their advantage are the ones that give off an appearance of fearlessness.  People that act in the face of fear show their true courage.  Fear can be an extremely tricky thing; it can cause action or the opposite and prevent action.  Fear would be widely considered as a negative in society.  But if you take a step back and objectively look at what fear can cause, it’s hard not to see how important having fear in our life is. 

Do you have fear in your life right now?  Because if fear is absent, then there is nothing that requires any bit of courage.  Can anything be considered challenging if there is nothing to fear?  Anything that stirs up even the littlest bit of fear, gives us another opportunity to excel, another chance to be courageous in the face of adversity, and that's greatness.  If you do not fear something then you surely won’t need any courage, and if you don’t need a little courage when taking a calculated risk, then what ever you are doing certainly won’t make you any better and probably won't be worth it.  

     Practically speaking, courage is a choice that you control.  You.  It’s up to us to utilize the fear to our advantage.  Cement our wills and determination in these moments to change our view of fear and not cower, but stand with delight and see the opportunity to be courageous.  This is something that requires us to act upon, and it’s our acting upon these opportunities over and over again that will make us stronger.  That will cement our courageousness. Whether or not someone is a soldier, fire fighter, police office, fighter, mom, dad, entrepreneur, athlete, fear comes at us everyday no matter how big or small no matter whatever our walk in life may be.  And those that act on that fear are far more admirable than those that use it as an excuse to leave their current path and quit.  Don’t quit.  Don’t ever quit.  Don’t even let that thought come in your mind.
 
Today is the first day of the rest of your life, go be courageous and seize it.


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