Tuesday, December 06, 2005

Courage and Fear


Courage or foolishness?

In my seminar, I often ask the audience what the definition of courage is. The answer is usually COURAGE = NO FEAR, which means that you are courageous when you don't feel any fear whatsoever. I believe that this is a poor definition of courage because it makes you feel that you don't have the courage to face new challenges in life that often come with fear of the unknown.

I think Mark Twain's description of courage - Courage is resistance to fear, mastery of fear - not absence of fear - is more empowering. It is about understanding and accepting that a fear exists, yet you are willing to take action despite it. Susan Jeffers said "Feel the fear and do it anyway."

Lessons:
1. It is natural to feel fear when you are about to do something new. The feeling of fear is not meant to paralyse you but it is to prepare you.
2. Courage is not the absence of fear, but feeling the fear and do it anyway

Learn and Grow!
Inge Santoso

1 comment:

Matthew May said...

I think he needs a cape or an airplane..lol