The opposite of courage is not cowardice. It is conformity. Jim Hightower
The word ‘courage’ originates from the French word corage and the Latin word cor, which means heart.
I believe we’re all born with a courage factor of 10 (1 being totally uncourageous and 10 being truly courageous). Our natural state as a child, was one of courage. We’d sing, dance, play, explore and paint with no regard for what others thought. We followed our instincts and our heart. We were 100% true to ourselves.
Then, over time, somewhere along the line, our courage factor became diminished and we chose to conform instead. We became more concerned with pleasing others, avoiding conflict and criticism and fitting in. We lost the courage to do something radically different from what we always do, or what the majority does or what everyone else tells us we should do.
Somehow we ended up with a courage factor closer to 1 than 10.
Purpose-driven leaders are committed to flexing their courage muscle and upping their courage factor on a daily basis. They constantly choose courage over conformity. They lead with their heart and their gut, not their head. They have no fear of conflict or being criticised or disliked. They know what they stand for. They come from a place of humility and vulnerability. They relentlessly keep asking the questions no one else is asking. They make decisions that are good for people and good for the planet. They know why they exist. In other words, they know their purpose.
The Practice of Finding Courage is my favourite practice in The Purpose Project. As I embark on The Purpose Project 100,000 Impacts Tour, I’m being required to flex my own courage muscle as I travel to 10 cities across 3 countries.
Check out this video on how I’m upping my own courage factor:
So, what’s your courage factor? Are you happy with it? What can you do to up it?