Choose Feelings That Serve You: Consider Courage

If you knew that your feelings drive your actions or inactions in life, what feelings would you want to cultivate more of in order to better achieve your goals? 

At the moment, I’m working on cultivating more courage. And let me tell you, it can be very uncomfortable. 

When I’m upleveling my courage factor, my body often aches. It can feel terrible.

And who wants to feel more of a feeling that doesn’t feel good? I do sometimes, because it’s what’s on the side that makes it all worthwhile… for me that’s adventure, joy and fulfillment. 

Courage is a key step in realizing my dreams and I’ll wager that it is for you too.

I know the feeling well. It took lots of courage to have two home births many years ago and change careers a few years ago. 

At times, every bone in my body wanted to crawl back into my comfort zone and stick with what I knew well or follow other people’s well meant advice. Our brains want to keep us safe. It’s normal. But deep down I knew I wanted something else.

As my clients work towards their dreams, they are experiencing the same thing. It’s part of the process of growth. Getting comfortable with the discomfort of courage can be a process or it can happen in a split second. It depends on our mindset. 

Sometimes I can cultivate courage on demand (especially when related to my kids), other times it takes more work and support.

For years I’ve been keeping track of my most memorable moments and lessons learned each month. They all, without exception, tie back to outdoor adventures, travel and spending quality time with loved ones.

Leaning into this self-knowledge, my grand plans this year require more courage than I normally cultivate in my everyday life. Moving our family across the world during a pandemic and planning an around the world trek with my kids requires more courage than usual.

I’ve known for years that is what my heart desired. So what held me back? Various fears (my own and others), and waiting for enough courage to show up and then following through.

If I keep waiting, I’ll most likely be waiting for decades. My dreams aren’t necessarily other’s dreams. No one is going to make plans for me. So I decided to cultivate courage by actively choosing thoughts that generate courage in me. 

It starts with building belief systems that make me feel courageous. I can’t just think a thought and feel courageous. I have to really believe it. At the moment, trusting that “I am strong and capable enough to weather any outcome” is a helpful one. 

Simple thoughts like “I’m ready” are also useful in feeling courageous.

What about you? What thoughts and beliefs help you feel courageous so you can take that next step towards your dreams?

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P.S. Want to work on cultivating courage so you can follow your dreams? Email me to get the conversation started. 

Testimonial from recent client: 

"What an energizing and informative experience. Melody’s supportive and thoughtful style helped guide me through the process of aligning my goals with my personal values. Our work together made me more optimistic about my next adventure. I found the combination of introspection combined with concrete activities very useful. 


I came to coaching because I wanted help in setting goals for different areas of life and finding a clear path to reach those goals. I also struggled with overcoming my bias and fear of putting myself out there professionally and defining what I have to offer. After coaching with Melody, I feel laser-focused, motivated, and purposeful about goals in all areas of my life. I also know some very specific strategies to use to increase my overall happiness and motivation."

~ Polly L