Finding the Courage for New Beginnings

Franklin D. Roosevelt said, “Courage is not the absence of fear, but rather the assessment that something else is more important than fear.” We all experience fear on different levels, sometimes when it comes to trying new things outside of our comfort zone or filtering people’s opinions on what we should do in our lives. If you let fear win, you quickly watch your will get diluted and you become somewhat lethargic, unable to live your life fully or create.

If this describes your season right now, here are a few points to consider to help you overcome and find the courage for new beginnings.

So what if I fail?

Sometimes, you need to play out the worst case scenario in your head so that you can see how irrational your fear is. What is the absolute worst that can happen? Your new venture could flop? Sure, it could. Will it kill you? I doubt it. There is always room for redemption in any situation, if you have resilience. Failure is actually a great teacher, if you don’t give up and you keep going.

Is my future worth the risk?

Many of us think this way – Someday I will be running my own business. Someday I will write a book about what I’ve learned. Someday I will be leading a healthy lifestyle. Whatever your dream may be, in most cases, what is standing between where you are right now and where you picture yourself in the future is subconscious fear. Will you take the plunge into the glorious unknown or will you forever live your life on the sidelines? If you don’t follow your gut, you, unfortunately, surrender to the latter reality by default.

Do I need to start fresh?

As we discussed, there are many ways your current mindset could be holding you back from the future you want to manifest. In order to jump into new beginnings, your mind needs to be transformed first. You cannot give someone all the material tools to build a new house and expect them to succeed without relevant training. In many cases, you will learn through trial and error but you will also need to spend time learning from people who have “made it” or at the very least, are doing a good job of going after said dream. Surround yourself with people who inspire you. Watch their attitudes and the lens with which they view their lives. Talk to them when you hit an obstacle and you’re not sure how to move forward. This is what community is for. We’re meant to affirm, encourage and push each other forward. We’re also meant to confront lovingly if someone needs to be corrected. One day, you will be the one to help people up when they most need it.