The non-negotiable of being an entrepreneur
Whether you are contemplating starting your own business or you’re already in the thick of it, courage is a crucial aspect of the entrepreneurial mindset.
Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines courage as, ‘the mental or moral strength to venture, persevere, and withstand danger, fear, or difficulty.’
In other words, it’s the ability to show up, step out and take a risk, even when you’re experiencing the fear of falling flat on your face.
Even though courage is an essential ingredient for growth, we aren’t automatically signed up to a courage course during the formative years of our lives.
So how do we intentionally build and strengthen our courage muscles?
Research professor Brené Brown, who has spent over two decades studying courage, vulnerability, shame and empathy, explains it best;
“Courage is like—it’s a habitus, a habit, a virtue: You get it by courageous acts. It’s like you learn to swim by swimming. You learn courage by couraging.”
(excerpt from The Gifts of Imperfection)
Brené Brown puts it simply - to flex our courage muscles, we must practice being courageous.
Three simple ways we can build courage by couraging are:
Sign up for something new
June’s Entrepreneur in the Spotlight, Rachel Dunn, practices courage by taking every opportunity that comes her way. Her approach to growth shows us it can be as simple as being in the room and learning from those around you.
Choose a community event each month and show up!
Embrace the fear of not knowing many people or not knowing what to do and watch your courage muscles grow.
Ask someone you admire to coffee
No doubt, you are surrounded with awesome humans that are doing the things you want to be doing. Why not ask one of them to coffee and hear more about their story?
Hearing someone else’s journey and the brave choices they’ve made can be so inspiring. Bet you’ll walk away feeling encouraged and ready to take another risk.
Create something and gift it to someone in your community
Creativity is an act of courage. It’s putting a piece of yourself out there for people to enjoy.
Why not, as a small act of kindness, create something for a fellow entrepreneur. Draw, paint, bake, write (create, create, create) and encourage them to be brave too!
It’s easy to overcomplicate growing, especially when it means stepping past fear. However, you’re not alone, we’re in the boat with you!
Which courage-flexing activity are you going to try? We’d love to hear.
Here at Venture Centre, we want to help you make your way. Every month we have many opportunities for you to ‘learn courage by couraging’. Sign up to Venture Centre’s news and be the first to know about these growth opportunities.
