CULTIVATE THE SPIRIT OF BOLDNESS FOR A VIBRANT, MAGICAL LIFE FILLED WITH ADVENTURE AND SUCCESS

Be Bold and fear will disappear! Be Bold and realize your potential! Be Bold and expand the boundaries of what you think you can do! Be Bold and stretch the limits of your capabilities! Be Bold and achieve far more in life! Be Bold and do what you thought was impossible! Too often we limit our capabilities to achieve far more in life because of fear. We may have been conditioned to believe that we are not capable of achieving and therefore we fill ourselves with the fear of failure. We may also have a fear of risk, a fear of taking steps into the unknown. As a result of the way some of us have been brought up we have a fear of what other men and women may think about us, our attempts to change and to be different.

We are aware that when we are different we may stand out. When we stand out, people may be critical of us and we are afraid of this. Don’t be afraid. Remember the words of Mary Shelley, the author of Frankenstein in 1818 who said, “We ought not to be too anxious respecting the opinions of others….Those who are bold enough to advance before the age they live in…must learn to brave censure.”

Some of us are afraid to try new ideas, skills and practices, to change and to develop ourselves. Instead we prefer to remain as we have always been. We tell ourselves that there is nothing more to learn, to experiment with, to try and to enjoy.

Definition of Bold

The Oxford Illustrated Dictionary defines Bold as courageous, enterprising, confident; forward, immodest; vigorous, free. Other definitions and meanings include venturesome; daring; not timorous or shrinking from risk; brave; exhibiting or requiring spirit and contempt of danger; planned with courage; daring; vigorous.

Being bold then enables us to lead exciting lives, to take risks and to be confident. This is what you want, what you wish to have, how you wish to live. An exciting, confident, fulfilling life! In this way we avoid merely following a routine pattern.

Fear

Many of us do the same things day in and day out. We are afraid to change the status quo and as such, we deny ourselves fulfilment of our dreams and goals. We have a fear of change and even when our inner voice is telling us that we should change we are too scared to do so. We dare not move out of our comfort zone. As such we limit our own potential.

There are a number of reasons why we do not try different practices. One is that we have a fear of risk. Another is that we are afraid to look silly. We tell ourselves that we should not do certain things and that we should conform or behave in a certain way. A third reason is that we cannot face the shame that accompanies failure. To overcome this, all you need to do is to tell yourself that whatever the outcome, every situation is an opportunity for growth.

There are times too, when we become indifferent to what is happening to us. We lose control of things and we tell ourselves that we will just accept things as they come. If we continue to do this then it is very likely that we will not try new skills, ideas and practices.

Often when applying a new idea or trying out something different, we would probably tell ourselves that we would not be able to achieve it. We would develop fears about working on this new idea or practice and we would just give up trying out the idea. We should instead just keep on going and not be afraid of what might happen.

Confront the Fear

This inability to confront our fear becomes more and more ingrained in us and we shrink away from doing things differently or doing different things. We need to transform ourselves and grow and discover the world around us as well as within ourselves. We need to be bold to move forward into areas we have not been to before. Hence, we need to have courage to confront fear as fear will always be there.

Once you have decided on a change, do not worry too much about it. Fretting and worrying about an idea that you wish to try will not help you to successfully implement it. If you continue to worry you will be merely sabotaging yourself. Instead picture yourself as being a success doing what you wish to do, adapting to the change that you want for yourself. As Mahatma Gandhi said, “Men (and Women) often become what they believe themselves to be. If I believe I cannot do something, it makes me incapable of doing it. When I believe I can, I acquire the ability to do it even if I didn’t have it in the beginning.”

Likewise the author, Stacy Kravetz said, “Attitude is everything. Attitude will help you stand up and ask for what you want, and it’s what will keep you going when you’re about to give up.” Just tell yourself, “I Can Do It!” Make the statement, “Yes, I Can” your personal slogan. You can do anything that you want to do; you can achieve anything that you wish to achieve if you tell yourself that you can do it! Take courage in your hands and go forward!

Take Action

To change we need to be decisive and to take action. It could be something small like trying a new dish, learning to dance, writing to someone, inviting someone to a concert or walking on the beach. Or it could be something big, like going on an adventure trip through Mongolia or starting a business.

It does help however, to think about your new idea first. Don’t do things blindly or compulsively. Consider the best way to go about implementing your new idea. Acquire as much information about it. Consider the best way to approach your new idea and then take action. Act with courage. You may be scared to make the change but have faith that what you are going to do is something splendid. It was Orison Swett – Marden who said, “Most of our obstacles would melt away if, instead of cowering before them, we should make up our minds to walk boldly through them.” Act as if you will succeed. The courage to take action, the ability to be bold and to make a change will make you proud of yourself.

Believe in yourself. Do something unpredictable today. Have faith in yourself and be persistent! Tell yourself, “Yes, I Can” and have the courage to fulfil your dreams!

I leave you with this poem by an unknown author:

“Love life. Be grateful for it
always, and show
your gratitude by not shying
away from
its challenges—

Always try to live a bit beyond
your capacities
and you’ll find your capacities
are greater
than you ever dreamed.”