What Courageous Act Are You Being Asked To Do?

I want to talk to you about courage. It’s one of the most important qualities that I’ve had to muster up to accomplish anything BIG in my life.

How many times have you been presented with an opportunity to do something in your life that you knew that you probably should do, but it wasn’t easy for you? Ok, maybe it was just downright scary?

• It could be a little thing, such as being invited to an event where you know no one except the person who invited you. You might want to opt-out and just stay home because the thought of having to put yourself out there and meet new people is just a lot of work and you are tired that day. Or perhaps you are just scared or uncomfortable to be in a room with so many strangers, but you know you should go anyway.
• Or, maybe the opportunity is a big thing, such as being asked to speak at a conference, start a big project, or maybe you have a random BIG thought that keeps rolling around in your head that tells you to take your life in a completely different direction. It could be asking you to change your career, move to a new city, work through a big relationship issue, write a book, or any other big, bold moves that don’t feel comfortable to you right now.

What is calling your name now? The idea may not even make sense to you in that moment, but you know you need to do it.

I’ve learned that any time you are presented with an opportunity or an idea that propels you towards your dreams, FEAR usually gets in the way of you stepping out on a limb and pursuing that route.

Are You Playing It Safe?

You see, we’re conditioned to play it safe in our society. Find a good job, make a good living, and save for retirement. But that old fashioned advice does not get our juices flowing every day and won’t make our dreams come true.

Dreams usually come with risk. Good risk, but risk. We have to put ourselves out there and stretch ourselves in ways we never have before and do things we’ve never done before. That’s how dreams are born… if we say yes to it.

To Get To Your Dreams, You Must First Face a LOT of “Internal Stuff”

When you are pursuing your dreams, everything comes up… and I mean EVERYTHING. Every insecurity, every judgment, ever fear, every excuse, every block, every relationship problem, disorganization, chaos, and every issue that you didn’t take the time to address to clear out. It all comes up. There are two reasons for them showing up.

1. It’s an Opportunity 

It’s an opportunity for you to clear it out so that there’s a clear path between you and your dreams.

When issues come up, you must face it, address it, and clear it out by taking care of it.

2. You Are Being Tested

Everything that comes up is also a test from the universe to see just how badly you want what you are asking for. This is NOT the time to shrink! This is the time to rise up and say that you are going to get past the fear, insecurities, and blocks that are in your way. It is the time to show your commitment to the universe by saying, “I’m fearful, but I’m going to do it anyway!”

Stretch Yourself! It’s the Only Way to Grow.

What I’ve also learned is that if your dream does not make you feel uncomfortable and stretch you outside your comfort zone. It just isn’t big enough. Dreams should stretch you and make you go where you’ve never gone before. They take you on a journey of personal growth.

There are so many times that I’ve been invited out to an event or to drinks after an event when I could have just bailed and said no. After having a baby, I felt exhausted and not myself. I lived in mommy clothes and really didn’t want to have to put in the effort to make myself look presentable to the world. I just wanted to sleep.

But, I know from experience that EVERY time I said yes to the universe by showing up, something great happened. No matter how much I was resisting it, I’d still make myself go and it was always worth it. I would either meet someone new that developed into a great friendship or great contact for something I was interested in doing or have an amazing conversation with someone I knew or didn’t know that gave me an amazing perspective that helped support what I was going through in that moment. The person or people I would meet was the person that I needed to meet right at that moment in my life.

I’m not saying that it’s been easy. What’s easy to someone else may be extremely difficult for you, but what’s important is that you step outside of your comfort zone by mustering up the courage to say yes.

The good news is that the universe doesn’t ask us to take on a task too large for us to handle. Usually the opportunities and ideas we are presented with are things we are completely capable of doing, just as long as we let go of our fears to just take the leap. Believe that you are more than capable of what it is you are being asked to do.

What is the universe calling you to do now?

It could be asking you to send that email to someone. It could be to telling you to put yourself out there by introducing yourself to someone new, go to a new event, write a blog post about a vulnerable topic, create a video, give a speech, offer your services, write a book, take a class in something completely new, sign up for something that will help you, etc. You get the point.

What scary thing is being called of you right now? If there is nothing scary in front of you, it means you are not stretching yourself and dreaming big enough for yourself. Expand the possibilities of what could be in store for you.

I’m stepping outside of my comfort zone right now by reaching out to people I would have never conceived of doing before. I know that one thing leads to another and we are always guided to the things that are good for us. I know I’m on the right path because my nerves are shaking, and that’s a good thing!

As long as we are not crippled in fear and we’re moving forward, that’s what counts.

What’s one thing should you do that you’ve been hesitating to do?

Take a deep breath, ask the universe for help, and release all the things that are holding back. Let them go. Then, focus on your purpose, the reason why you need to do what you are being asked to do, muster up courage, decide to rise up, and take the step (or the leap)!

What courageous next step are you committed to doing? Please share with us in the comments below!

You’ll be glad that you did! You’ll also realize that it wasn’t as scary as you thought it would be!