“Courage is the art of being the only one who knows you’re scared to death. ” ~ Earl Wilson
Have you ever been really afraid of something you were facing?
Have you ever worked really hard for something and when you got what you wanted you wondered if you had what it would take to manage it?
Fear can be crippling.
Fear can be paralyzing – you feel like a deer in the headlights.
Fear can grip you so tightly that it doesn’t seem feasible for you to break free.
Your chest tightens.
Your heart races.
Sweat pools at your temples.
It makes you doubt you are able to overcome.
It makes you question even the things you previously knew you were equipped to do.
The temptation may be to just let go and get swallowed up.
But here’s the good thing about fear.
Yes, I said GOOD thing!
Without fear there can be no courage.
And courage is a decision to act in spite of fear.
And acting with courage empowers you and moves you toward a purpose or desired outcome.
Courage allows you to act and live as if you have already achieved your purpose.
Don’t get swallowed up.
talktodiana 
Reblogged this on RoxyUncut and commented:
Fear keeps us from living fully
LikeLike
Hi Diana love this post. I think when we take a step in courage we give others permission to do the same. tx for all the support on my blog. People like you makes living a richer experience.
LikeLike
What kind words Roxy – thank you. It is always a pleasure to go see what you’re up to on your blog!
xo
Diana
LikeLike
Pingback: Resistance is Futile « talktodiana
Pingback: Fear… | INDEPENDENT GAMING
Pingback: Fear … the enemy within. « Simply Me Just Be
I love this post. I have my days of “fearful” and than my days of “fearless”. I’d like more of the fearLESS! ♥
LikeLike
I hear you on that one!
LikeLike
🙂
LikeLike
I love the idea of being empowering and having the courage to take control. Some people fear taking responsibility for their lives and want to be told what to do so they can blame others when they fail. I think it takes courage to take control.
LikeLike
I have done both. I have felt the temptation to just get swallowed up (not so I could blame others so much as not to have to decide) but you’re right when I’ve taken action in spite of my fear, even little action, it has been amazingly empowering and usually encouraged more brave action. Thanks for stopping by and sharing your thoughts.
LikeLike
I love this. Maybe I will look a little bit forward to my daily anxieties if I can instead view them as opportunities to exhibit courage. And the eventual, tougher battles ahead… I will think about courage even more.
LikeLike
Thank you Jennifer. courage does begat courage. 🙂 I’m not sure what you are facing but my warm thoughts and prayers are with you.
LikeLike
Just what I needed Diana. Really great message.
LikeLike
That does my heart good – thank you!
LikeLike
Pingback: who’s a beautiful blogger? I am :-) | bodhisattvaintraining
‘“Courage is the art of being the only one who knows you’re scared to death.’
Love it.
LikeLike
It’s a gem for sure – I was thrilled when I came upon it. Thanks for dropping by Sedge. 🙂
LikeLike
Fear is a pretty good motivator sometimes – sometimes all you need is a friend along side to face it. I was thinking about your post while I was out in the woods today working on some pre-winter maintenance – my friend Candy came by and offered to help – she would help me move an elephant if she heard I needed help. I was running a chainsaw and typically I am so cautious that I leave pretty scary stuff standing. Candy said she would spot for me and we took down several trees and cut them up. Knowing she was there made me willing to face my fears. – Alas I have rambled – lovely post:)
LikeLike
Candy sounds awesome! How lucky are you to have a friend like that?? Glad you got done the work you needed to do and I agree, sometimes, heck always, it’s good to have people believe in you and encourage you. I have some friends and my family of course, who would be in my corner in a heart beat if I needed them to be as well. 🙂
LikeLike
I am lucky and she would have pushed me to cut another tree over 20 feet tall if I had given her any room too. Fearless friends are awesome. 🙂
LikeLike
At best we achieve things that we never dreamed we could and at worst, there’s someone to call 9-1-1 🙂
LikeLike
Very true!
LikeLike
Excellent post! You’re right that courage isn’t not being afraid, it’s acting even though you are afraid. And a cool thing is that facing your fears can help you with others.
My big fear story is about needles. Getting shots used to be a horrible, horrible experience for me. Then I spent some time getting into skydiving. One day during that time I was at the doctor, and he sent me to the lab to get some blood drawn. I’m sitting in the waiting area chair putting finger dents in the steel armrests, and suddenly it occurs to me: Dude, you’re jumping out of airplanes… and you’re afraid of a medical professional performing a routine medical procedure that, at worst, just stings for a moment? What the fnork is up with that?!?!
And, boom, ever since, it’s been really no big deal. From one of my major fears to no big deal is quite an experience.
LikeLike
I had the same needle fear! I pushed a doctor into his examining table when I was 8 because I didn’t want a booster shot! I’m pleased to say I’m more grown up about it now…I do have to look away though…
LikeLike
I am a little fraidy cat you say boo to me and I jump out of my skin……………lol
Ask my daughters and grandsons they love to jump out and say boo just to see me jump and get all scared…………lol
LikeLike
BOO!! haha just kidding. I think that’s a natural reaction. I jump too if someone appears from nowhere and yells boo! 🙂
LikeLike
The most intense fear I ever experienced was learning my second son had cancer. How I found the inner courage to put on a brave face for him I will never know. Courage allowed me to accept the fear of his diagnosis and face it, then empowered me to educate myself and him on its medical treatments and outcomes. Through that and the wonderful Internet community we were able to find the world expert on his type of cancer and email that doctor his pathology results who advised him on a course of action. Courage then gave my son the strength to stand up to his own doctor and say ‘no, this is what I want, this is the course of treatment I am taking’, rather than that what was being suggested at the time.” Thus, after surgery, he opted for surveillance rather than chemotherapy and was spared those unnecessary rigors to his body . Now, eight years later, i am happy to report he is fit and healthy and living life to the full. We are both so glad that somewhere amongst all that fear and anxiety, of him being hit with that diagnosis at such a young age, somehow we found the strength and courage to learn all about his cancer and get the correct information, and then for him to take the correct action.
(As an aside, it was the same type of cancer as Lance Armstrong had and his book ‘Its not about the bike’ was instrumental in empowering my son in this course of action. In the book Lance encourages the patient to educate themselves on their cancer, to question the doctors, and to pro-actively seek the best medical care. With all the controversy of late about whether Lance the hero was an illusion, Lance the man who suffered cancer and wrote that book definitely helped my son).
LikeLike
This a powerful testimony to the point you have made. Thank you for sharing your story. I love how you educated yourselves and stood up for the course of action that made sense to you. I’m glad to hear your son is doing well and I agree with you on the Lance stuff as well. Yeah he may have messed up and got stripped of his victories but there is no doubt in mind that he also helped many like your son and raised tons of money for research. Thank you Elizabeth!
LikeLike
Perfection! I had to go back and make sure it didn’t say “Dear Jaime” at the top!…I love how so many of us feel like this post was written for us!
LikeLike
(smiling) Us humans have way more in common than we don’t, don’t you think?
LikeLike
What would be the difference between “courage” as described here and “determination?”
LikeLike
Hi Jan!
I don’t know. I mostly just type the words as they fall on my heart and they come from my own personal experiences. I suppose the words are close in meaning. As described here? How would you describe courage to differentiate from determination?
You always make me think Jan, thanks for stopping by. xo
LikeLike
I think ‘courage’ is that first inner strength you have to face your fears, that then ’empowers’ you to gain knowledge about whatever it is that needs to be overcome, followed by the ‘determination’ to see it through. Take for example you wake to the news that the stockmarket has crashed and many people have lost their life savings. Fear overcomes you. You may think you will not be able to retire or afford medical care. Courage is that spark of strength to make that phone call to find out exactly your personal situation and then, once you learn it is actually abyssmal, instead of giving up or sitting like a blob and crying you begin to educate yourself on starting over or you have the courage to go back to work or you learn how to live on less money. All this takes courage. ‘Determination’ then starts to kick in when it all gets too much and you realize it will take seven years rather than three to get back to where you were. You have to look to your vision of financial stability and keep going. So I see it as courage to face something and start something, determination to finish it. You need both to achieve or overcome something. Sorry for the long answer. It is something I have thought about a lot.
LikeLike
I can see you’ve given it a lot of thought Elizabeth – thanks for weighing in, it makes a lot of sense. Thank you.
LikeLike
Reblogged this on LifeRevelation and commented:
The one thing I truly like about this post is how Diana DOES NOT mention overcoming your fears. Facing them yes, but she acknowledges the fear remains…even in the face of courage. Yet True Courage (yes there is a future post here) will enable you to not only function, but move forward.
Be encouraged!
LikeLike
Looking forward to a future post on true courage from you!
LikeLike
Thanks…just as soon as I get enough courage to write it…this is why I never became a comedian…be encouraged!
LikeLike
🙂
LikeLike
Okay. I won’t! 🙂
Great post Diana — and a great reminder to never let fear be the reason to stop me from living the life I dream of!
Have a great Sunday.
LikeLike
Have a great Sunday as well Louise!
LikeLike
Haha I’ve been working on a fear post myself. It’s taking its time! But watch this space 😉
I’ve been thinking about your fire post too. Interesting and thought provoking – I want to do something with that 🙂
LikeLike
Thanks for stopping by, it’s always good to hear from you. I will watch out for your fear post – love reading your blog. 🙂
LikeLike
Thank you Diana!
LikeLike
🙂
LikeLike
I needed that – thanks Diana!
LikeLike
You’re welcome. I needed that too…was lecturing to myself again. 🙂
LikeLike
haha – I do that too!
LikeLike
It’s a woman thing, huh?
LikeLike
gotta be!
LikeLike