The Latin root “cour” refers to heart, the core of a person. There is a relationship between having courage and having heart. Many people with heart disease are aware of the urgency to live their dreams and yet fear gets in the way. Are there things that you want in your life? Changes you wish you could make?
Change is uncomfortable and the first steps may seem like hurtles. Here are three ideas for tapping into your courage:
Develop a vision for what it is you want, enhance the vision by imagining what the experience will be like when you have this, or you are this way in your life – how will you be interacting with yourself and others, who will be present, what will you be doing, what is the mood like in the scene you envision. Use this enhanced imagery to draw you closer to the desired state.
Become aware of the inner critic. In Co-Active coaching we refer to the inner critic as a “saboteur.” The saboteur loses power over us when we can identify it for what it is, just one voice; once we notice it, we can then open our mind to other options in the situation, and consciously choose what it is we do really want at that time. This noticing takes practice. There are a variety of ways to handle your saboteur, over time I’ll refer to others as well.
Gather supports; as with the cowardly lion in the Wizard of Oz, we all need others around to provide support. Sometimes the support comes from surprising places. Who in your life can you ask for support as you make transitions to a healthier lifestyle? Perhaps your healthcare providers, friends, family members even co-workers, each of you will have someone you can call on.
What are some ways that you tap into your courage? Please share, we can all benefit.
