Courage Needs Confidence to Succeed

Years ago I was fortunate enough to hear Maya Angelou speak in person. One of the things she said that day has stayed with me: “Courage is the most important of all virtues, because without courage you can’t practice any other virtue consistently.”

Courage with Doubt

To go forth toward your goals and dreams with courage is ideal, especially so when paired with confidence. Problems arise when you courageously go forth while dragging your doubts, insecurities, and fears of failure along with you, because,… well, you can see the problem.

I have always struggled with fears of all kinds – not being good enough, smart enough, fear of death, of loss, of failure, of disappointment. You get the idea. So, I took Maya’s words to heart and fully embraced the decision to do everything I could to face my fears head-on with courage. And I did. Though more often than not and often without knowing, I also dragged along the belief I didn’t deserve to be successful.

The Power of Confidence

More recently, I had an epiphany, an awakening even, to the understanding that courage alone isn’t enough to succeed. Now that I’m courageous, I’m practicing the virtue of confidence.

If you can accept that your spirit or inner self believes that what you tell yourself is what you truly want, then you immediately understand that what you say to yourself about your strengths and worthiness count. Your belief patterns and your emotional energy are in constant communication with your spirit. Your spirit or inner self doesn’t question. Rather, it conspires to give you what you believe you deserve.

Worry about the Outcome

“I knew it. I just knew it wasn’t going to work out for me.” Self-fulfilling prophecy? You decide.

Go forth courageously while dragging behind negativity and a belief it’s never going to work out for you … chances are, rather than immediate success, you’ll be met with a test(a) intended to rid you of what holds you back. Spirit is the wisdom within us that knows when you’re playing small and holding back.

Without Confidence Lessons Arrive

Courage without confidence usually ends with a lesson to teach you how to trust and believe in you. Every outer goal comes with a built-in inner goal that involves overcoming the internal trait most likely to interfere with your success.

Over time and with the help of the lessons you’ve accumulated around your ability to overcome difficulties grows into a belief in a positive outcome–courage with the confidence to succeed. You begin to live with the attitude of success while moving toward your goal as if you’ve already achieved it and are simply catching up.

Release Unproductive Belief Patterns

Releasing unproductive belief patterns and replacing them with affirmations is a spiritual task. Affirmations communicate with your spirit, which in turn lends emotion support and encouragement in all you do.

Support doesn’t come to us when we’re feeling sorry for ourselves, — or if it does – we find a way to dismiss, discount, or sabotage the help. Support comes when we believe in ourselves and are trying our best, persevering through challenges. Often the help that arrives feels almost as if it appeared miraculously.

Courage Needs Confidence to Succeed

Courage gets you up and moving toward your goal. Confidence keeps you at it when confronted with challenges.

When confronted with setbacks and obstacles, reversals and adversaries, confident people believe they’ll work out a way to resolve or remove them. Courage to take risks with the confidence that whatever the outcome you’ll be fine clears your way forward.

When we take action with courage and confidence we inspire others to courageously take action with confidence.

Affirmations

If you don’t believe you deserve what you’re striving for or doubt you’re smart enough to succeed and pull off what you’re after, you won’t.

So, why not think positive? Courage needs confidence to succeed. Besides, the outcome won’t be revealed until you reach the end. I know you’re thinking about that last time when things went awry. But now you bring all you learned from the last time and the time before that to help make this time different. Your thoughts are yours to decide. Keep reminding yourself of your past failures and living with fear of any kind depletes you of energy and sucks away your happiness. Rather, constantly remind yourself of your gifts. If you can’t think of anything positive to affirm about yourself, lie.