When we think of courage, our minds often jump to images of soldiers on the battlefield or individuals bravely fighting illness. But courage doesn’t always look like a Hollywood movie moment. More often, courage is quiet. It’s deeply personal. It’s the voice that says, “Get back up. Try again. Speak even though you’re scared.”
In your personal and business journey courage is not optional; it’s the foundation of growth. Without it, dreams stay dreams. With it, doors open.
Courage in Failing Forward
Everyone starts somewhere. That “somewhere” is courage.
Think of stepping onto a stage for the first time. Your heart races, your hands shake, and your inner critic whispers, “What if I fail?” The truth is — you might stumble. You might forget your words. But here’s the gift: you’ll survive, and you’ll grow.
Failure is not the end. It’s feedback. It’s a rehearsal for success. Many of the world’s best speakers, authors, and entrepreneurs only found their voice by first failing forward.
Courage means being willing to stand up, speak out, and accept that the first attempt won’t be perfect. But with each try, you build resilience. And resilience is where confidence is born.
If at First You Don’t Succeed
We’ve all heard the saying: “If at first you don’t succeed, try, try again.” In leadership and business, this is not just a nice phrase ; it’s a survival strategy.
Courage is persistence. It’s launching a new product that doesn’t sell the first time, but refining it until it finds its audience. It’s practicing your presentation over and over until your message lands with impact.
Great leaders and great speakers aren’t fearless; they are relentless. They refuse to stop until they discover what works.
Courage Looks Different Than You Think
Here’s something many people miss: courage doesn’t always roar. Sometimes, courage is whispering, “I need help.”
In leadership, asking your team for support shows strength, not weakness. In business, seeking a mentor or coach can fast-track your success. In speaking, admitting, “I’m nervous, but I’m going to do this anyway,” is the very thing that connects you to your audience.
It takes far more courage to reach out than to pretend you can do it all alone.
Courage and Fear Walk Together
Courage is not the absence of fear. It’s action despite fear.
The first time you stand on stage.
The first time you pitch your business idea.
The first time you step into leadership and others look to you for guidance.
Fear will be there every time. But so will courage – if you choose it.
And when you look back, you’ll see the moments you were most afraid were the ones that shaped you most.
Courage doesn’t always wear armour. Sometimes it wears a microphone. Sometimes it wears a business suit. Sometimes it simply shows up as you, daring to try again.
Courage is the bridge between where you are and where you dream of being. And the good news? You don’t need to wait to feel brave. You just need to take the next step; even if your knees are shaking.
Because courage isn’t about being fearless. It’s about being unstoppable.
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Trish Springsteen
Speaker Mentor, Get Known Be Seen Specialist
Australia’s Leading Expert in Empowering Introverts
Multi International Award Winning Mentor
Speaker, Coach
International Award Winning Best Selling Author
Host Get Known Be Seen WebTV
I Believe in You until You Believe in Yourself
Clients work with Trish because they know she can help them have the confidence and self-belief to make speaking easy. Trish typically works with small business owners, introverts, authors and advocates helping them to promote their business to be visible. Stand out and make it easy for your clients to find you.
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