It’s a cliché.
Every self-help book ever written features a chapter titled Do Something Every Day That Scares You.
Clichéd, but honest.
I made a difficult call the other day — a call that broke off a relationship with someone I cared for. I was terrified, but it was the right thing to do.
If I were placed in a similar situation 10 years ago, I would’ve handled things differently, and not for the better. I might have done nothing, pouted, or even lashed out.
Thankfully, my courageous parents raised me to always do the right thing, even if it scares you. They taught me that you don’t become who Teddy Roosevelt called the man in the arena on command. Courage is a daily practice. Where do you start? Start with the simple things: Own up to your mistakes, speak up when it’s not popular, go to the gym even when every fiber of your being wants to stay in bed.
The alternative? Oh boy! I know plenty of people who actively choose the easy road — and so do you. How about those who stay in toxic relationships in order to keep up appearances, or remain in a job they hate because they fear what people will think if they chase their dream?
No one is more miserable than those who make cowardice a daily practice.
We ended our relationship on good terms. It was sad, and scared the heck out of me. But the right thing to do.
The courage to do the right thing is my parents’ gift to me. So when the time came, I didn’t pout, I didn’t throw a fit. I was ready.