Photo by Katrina Cimmermane at Kat.eye.visuals

Courage is the energy that helps us take those first steps into the fog of the unknown, and to keep going despite fear or doubt.

It is available to all of us whenever we need it, if we know how to care for it.

Courage is a bit like a flower… we can grow it and keep it healthy, or we can just as easily destroy it.

Goodbye Courage, Hello Anxiety

The most reliable way I’ve found to drown my courage is by overthinking.

I’m talking about the obsessive analyzing and forecasting that completely paralyzes progress and invites in all kinds of fears.

Here are the three biggest ways I’ve found that overthinking kills courage:

1. Fear Of Incompetence

Sometimes we aren’t as prepared as we’d like to be for something, and the fear of looking dumb can stop us from doing anything at all.

Courage would have you walk right into that uncomfortable situation and do the best you can while learning from mistakes and carrying on, knowing you gained more than you lost in that scenario.

I’d also like to add that it’s okay to not know everything or be the smartest one in the room all the time. Others may judge, but you don’t have to do that to yourself.