In the movie The Wizard of Oz, the Cowardly Lion is in search of courage, but in the end finds that courage is not something he can find outside himself. Courage can only be found within. In this final article about creative courage, I want to talk about how to develop courage. First, take a few minutes to think about how you have developed courage in yourself. To go further, try the techniques below.

Give it time

Like a muscle, courage gets stronger when it’s exercised. Just as some days you feel very strong, and others you feel drained, so your level of courage may differ from time to time. “Courage doesn’t always roar. Sometimes courage is the quiet voice at the end of the day saying, ‘I will try again tomorrow,’” said Mary Anne Radmacher. So be kind to yourself if some days your courage flags, but, as Winston Churchill said, “Never, never, never give up.”

Cultivate courage in everyday life

Firefighters build the courage needed to face infernos through constant drills. To prepare yourself to be courageous at critical moments, practice during everyday situations:

• Suggest a wild idea in a brainstorming session.

• Speak against the majority opinion in a meeting.

• Say no to an unreasonable or unimportant demand that does not align with your personal goals and values.

• Stand up to a bullying superior, competitive colleague, or abusive customer.

• Apologize to someone you’ve mistreated.

• Own up to a mistake that you’ve made.

• Walk away from a lucrative deal when your instincts tell you something’s wrong.

Confront and overcome your fears

Aristotle said courage lay between fear and recklessness. Becoming courageous requires that you recognize and acknowledge your fears. Write down the things you’re frightened of, that eat at you. Then try to understand your fears by asking things like:

• Why do I spend time thinking about this?

• Why am I afraid of this?

• What’s the source of this fear?

• What is the worst possible thing that could happen?

• What are the odds of this happening?

Finally, try to deal with each of your fears by accepting it as part of life, draining it of its power by thinking about it rationally — or by doing what you fear.

Do what you fear

What does fear sound like? Thump-thump-thump. It’s the pounding of your heart. What does courage sound like? Thump-thump-thump. Again, it’s your heart. Fear and courage sound just the same. Nelson Mandela said, “I learned that courage was not the absence of fear, but the triumph over it. The brave man is not he who does not feel afraid, but he who conquers that fear.” Similarly, John Wayne said, “Courage is being scared to death... and saddling up anyway,” and Ralph Waldo Emerson said, “Always do what you fear.” So the next time you hesitate out of fear, remember that these people were afraid, too — but they were courageous when they acted in spite of their fear. When you do act, you will often be surprised to find that the thing you were afraid of wasn’t such a big deal. There are other rewards, too. As the US aviation pioneer Amelia Earhart said, “Courage is the price that life exacts for granting peace.”

Perform acts of courage

Think of 10 or 20 ways to complete this: “It takes (real) courage to…” Think not only of extreme situations (“It takes real courage to go bungee jumping”), but also of the everyday (“It takes real courage to disagree with my friend”). Every week or two, take one thing from your list and do it. After you’ve done a few of these things, ask yourself what you learned by practicing being courageous. You may well find yourself agreeing with Anaïs Nin, who said, “Life shrinks or expands in proportion to one’s courage.”

Dare to be wrong

“To live a creative life, we must lose our fear of being wrong,” said Joseph Chilton Pearce. The fear of failure and ridicule stops most people from trying new things. But, as Ralph Waldo Emerson said, “Whatever you do, you need courage. Whatever course you decide upon, there is always someone to tell you that you are wrong. There are always difficulties arising that tempt you to believe your critics are right. To map out a course of action and follow it to an end requires some of the same courage that a soldier needs. Peace has its victories, but it takes brave men and women to win them.” So stop obsessing about being perfect. Dare to be wrong. Dare to be seen as wrong. To succeed sooner, fail earlier.

Shape up to face up

Although physical courage may not seem important for creativity, getting in good physical shape helps build courage and confidence. Are you more confident about confronting your boss if you stand up straight, or if you slouch and look down? When the time comes to metaphorically step up and move forward, are you more likely to do so if you often literally step up and move forward, or if you are a couch potato? “Inaction breeds doubt and fear. Action breeds confidence and courage. If you want to conquer fear, do not sit home and think about it. Go out and get busy,” said Dale Carnegie. I would add: Get in shape.

Believe

“A man of courage is also full of faith,” said the Roman philosopher Marcus Tullius Cicero. Faith and belief fuel courage. So believe! Believe in yourself; believe in your potential; believe in the importance of your mission; believe in your ideas; and believe that you can realize your dreams. Then, take action and believe Basil King, who said, “Be bold and mighty forces will come to your aid.” With a bit of luck, you will then come to believe Walt Disney, who said, “All our dreams can come true — if we have the courage to pursue them.”

© Dr. Detlef Reis 2012. This article was published in parallel in the Bangkok Post under the same title on 27 September 2012.