by Mary Jaksch

The thing is that courage is like a muscle. If you don’t use it, it withers away.

How’s your courage? When did you last use it?

The thing is that courage is like a muscle. If you don’t use it, it withers away.

I’m not talking about huge acts of courage. It’s about the little moments. After all, if you want to become fit, it’s the small regular moments of exercise that make the difference in the long run.

You can increase your courage with the following simple tips. But first, let’s take a closer look at what is courage.

What is courage?

Courage is the ability to face danger, difficulty, uncertainty, or pain without being overcome by fear or being deflected from a chosen course of action.

The word ‘courage’ stems from the Latin word ‘cor’ – which means heart. And it’s true, courage is a state of the heart. It’s the ability to do what seems right – even if it feels scary.

Here are ways to train your courage:

Tip no#1: Start something new. 
It’s hard to be a beginner again. It takes courage to learn something new and to be a newbie in amongst more experienced people.

Tip no#2: Go somewhere you’ve never been before.
Too often our life is on a track that has little variation. Do you always take the same way home from work? Or go to the same restaurant for a meal? Try going somewhere new.

Tip no#3: Say what is in your heart.
Do you sometimes suppress the true words that want to come out? I’m sure we all do that at times. What holds us back is fear. A good way to train your courage is to say something positive about a person – even if you’re nervous of how they’ll receive what you say.

Tip no#4: Speak to someone you don’t know.
Imagine being at a party where you don’t know most people. That can feel daunting. You’ll feel a lot better, if pluck up your courage and start a conversation with someone you don’t know. Ask them what they do, where they live, or what they are passionate about.

Tip no#5: Stand up for someone else.
If you see someone at work being treated unfairly, what do you do? Do you speak up – or remain silent. It’s the same with office gossip. Do you ever defend the person who is being run down? Try standing up for someone else – you will feel your courage grow.

Tip no#6: Learn to shout.
If you practice martial arts, one of the first things you learn is to shout. I’ve experienced that many people – and especially women – have forgotten how to shout. Their self-esteem is so low that they don’t know how to raise their voice. I suggest learning to shout. You can go to martial art classes, walk on the beach, or shout into a pillow. The shout that comes from the belly is a tremendous source of energy and courage.

Tip no#7: Dress how you want to
Our society has strong rules about how we are supposed to dress at certain occasions. Maybe you have a dress-code at work that you need to follow. Make sure that you intentionally dress how you like when it’s leisure time. Express yourself through your clothing.

These seven tips will help you to train your courage. Remember, it’s the little moments that add up to great courage.

Do you have a great tip on how to train courage? Please share in the comments.

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