In our last post we introduced the concept that Love + Courage = Confidence, and focused on Self Love and Trust as a key part of the formula.
Have you noticed that to fully embrace Self-Care, Self-Love and Self-Trust takes courage? Have you noticed that the “rules” of social interaction are sometimes broken when you prefer to put yourself first?
When you recognize how you stress yourself out by attempting to be accepted on other people’s terms, you realize its up to you and you alone to start responding differently.
That takes courage. And when you listen to your Heart (remember: the word courage literally means “of the Heart“) and act from Self-Love, your Confidence and self-esteem are greatly rewarded.
Let’s look more closely at courageous action and what it means in the context of what we teach in Danger, Sex and Magic.
Here’s what it is not:
- It’s not proving something to yourself with thrill-seeking behavior (ie: cliff jumping or giant wave surfing, which is not to say those things aren’t extreme fun!)
- It’s not risk-taking without risk-management. In fact, risk management can be an act of courage.
- It’s not duty, obligation, a “should” or any other act of requirement.
Action that leads from the Heart is at the center of Courage. Listening to the still, quite voice of your Heart is a skill that is re-learned by putting attention on it. When we were small children we lived courageously. Before we learned how to manipulate our environment we were truthful, honest and authentic in every moment of our expression. To gain social acceptance the voice of our Hearts became drowned out in a clamor of gottas, shoulds and distractions.
Coming to recognize the voice of your Heart is this month’s focus. So, how do you do that?
Most of the time the Heart speaks to you through your senses and your emotional energy. Your sense of joy, happiness, sadness, or unease are like the communication ministers informing you about the state of your Heart.
Attending to and acting from your Heart is not necessarily a skill that you will master overnight. It takes a commitment to Self-Love (the first part of the formula!) and practicing small acts of Courage to prepare yourself for the Big Stuff!
Here are some examples of simple acts of Courage that will give you some ideas about other places to practice and stretch yourself:
- Tell a waitperson in a restaurant that your food is not acceptable.
- Pay the road toll for the 3 cars behind you
- Drop out of a group that no longer uplifts your energy
- Commit to begin learning something you’ve always wanted to know how to do (speak another language, sing, dance, write poetry, etc.)
Enjoy the challenge stepping up to serving YOU! Exploring acts of Courage will change your life!
Let this work settle in over the next few weeks and notice your confidence start to shift.
Next, we’re going to talk more about Confidence, Self-Knowledge and the results that come from your work with Love and Courage.