Many if not most of us have never been in a life or death situation that requires us to summon up great courage. We have been in situations that require great courage, but usually not life or death situations.

This is because modern life has protected us from many dangers that were quite common in generations past. For example, no longer do we all need guns in our homes to protect us from grizzly bears, mountain lions, or other wild animals. We do not need to weather the elements with raw materials, no, now most of us have electricity and running water and modern housing that protects us from nature's most dangerous creatures and harsh weather.

Still, oftentimes when we think of courage, we only think of someone who overcame a life or death situation. For example, we might think of the brave soldier who saved his companions by putting his own life at risk. Or perhaps we think about the courageous widow who overcame great odds in order to raise her children out of poverty. Or perhaps we think about the social advocate who made a multinational company stop polluting the environment.

Yes, these people have courage, but can ordinary people like you and I become more courageous without ever having to face the end of a gun, or a wild animal, or a vicious criminal? Can even ordinary people learn courage, and bring more courage into their lives and their world?

Can all of us have courage?

Well, one definition of courage is the ability to overcome one's fears, and we can all overcome at least some of our fears. Thus, yes, all of us can become more courageous!

The process actually is quite simple. First, you need to know your fears. Then, you need to figure out a way to overcome them. And finally, you must take action on your ideas. Then you will become more courageous. Are you ready to become more courageous, today?

By doing this exercise, you will demonstrate courage. Thinking about it is not enough. Meditating about it is not enough. You must actually take a bold action, and overcome the fear.

Today, think about your life and write down your fears. Put your fears down in writing and think about them. Don't run away, don't avoid them. Face your fears. Be tough. You are only writing down words on a piece of paper. This will not hurt you! On the contrary, it is the first vital step towards overcoming your fears.

Then, write down specific actions that you can take in order to overcome those fears. Make up a master list of ACTION STEPS that will lead to overcoming your fear, or at the very least greatly decreasing fear in your life.

For example, perhaps you are afraid of dying prematurely from a heart attack. First, you would write down your fear, then you would write up a list of actions that would help you overcome this fear. Perhaps you need to exercise more, or perhaps you need to change your diet. Once you start doing these things, your fear will go away completely, or at least become greatly diminished and weaker.

So today ask yourself: What would a person of courage do?

Courage is a primal force that can be summoned up by thinking and planning, but it only becomes a part of your life when you take action.

SUMMARY

1. Write down your fears.

2. Write down actions that will cause you to overcome or at least lessen these fears.

3. Prioritize your tasks.

4. Take action today and begin doing the tasks in order of priority.

To build up your courage, today, take Dr. Heston's free 4-part Courage Course online at www.CourageBuilder.com