The Case For Courage In Your Daily Life: Part 1

Human beings are adapted to crave courage. It is instinctively our highest value, because courage is what allowed our hunter-gatherer ancestors to survive and thrive in the wild. They had to confront and overcome primal fear and self-doubt everyday just to avoid being killed by predators, warring tribes, exposure to the elements, or injury. Courage is an adaptive imperative, because it provides an adaptive advantage. Consequently nothing feels more positive and meaningful than embodying courage.

There is a flip side to the courage coin. We are also adapted to despise cowardice, because cowardice so often proved fatal to our primitive ancestors. Cowardice is so despicable that your own conscience will torment you when you behave like a coward. That is the reason that it is said that "True hell is found when the person you are meets the person you could be." That is true hell because your conscience lets you know that your failure to live up to your potential is a consequence of your own cowardice. I can tell you from experience, that feeling is truly hellish.

Now let's return to courage. True bliss is found when you become the person you could be, because the embodiment of courage is what allows you to develop and manifest your potential. Courage reveals the path to the change and growth that are essential for that development. That is why behaving courageously feels so wonderful, and that is why Joseph Campbell said "Follow your bliss." The courageous path is an intensely challenging path, and that is why Campbell also said "Follow your blisters." What if a reliable recipe for courage exists? How would a reliable access to courage allow us to thrive as we move forward through life? How can we leverage this adaptive advantage?

"May your choices reflect your hopes, not your fears." With this insight, Nelson Mandela gave the world the simplest possible understanding of the recipe for courage. Courage is choosing to overcome fear so that your actions reflect your hopes. This is how courage works, because the neurochemical formula for courage is the adrenaline and natural painkillers triggered by fear combined with the oxytocin triggered by hope. 

So there is, in fact, a reliable recipe for courage, and fear and hope are the essential ingredients for this recipe. The recipe is: align your decisions and actions with hope so that you never surrender to fear. Ironically, as soon as you take a step in the direction of hope, fear of failure, fear of rejection, and fear of embarrassment immediately arise. Surrendering to that toxic cocktail of fears is how most dreams die. So the important question that each of us needs to answer is, "How can I find a supply of hope so great that I never surrender to fear?"

This is where another insight from another global icon can guide us in the right direction. "Once you decide on your occupation, you must immerse yourself in your work. You have to fall in love with your work. Never complain about your job. You must dedicate your life to mastering your skill. That's the secret of success, and is the key to being regarded honorably." Chef Jiro Ono is widely considered the greatest sushi chef in the world; a true master of his craft. The Chef's insight points us in the direction of mastery, and in the direction of finding a source of limitless hope and courage.

Anyone who's ever had a job knows that "falling in love with your work" and "never complaining about your job" are not simple accomplishments. Falling in love with your work, and mastering your craft probably won't just land in your lap. It will probably take some effort to find that situation. How can we approach that task in a way that tilts the odds in our favor? By answering the Essential Questions offered by Heather Heying and Bret Weinstein in their book "A Hunter-Gatherer's Guide To Modern Society."

"Who am I? And what am I going to do about it?"

"What's the biggest, most important problem I can solve with my gifts and skills? And what is my plan to solve it?"

Everyone needs to answer these Essential Questions. Confronting and answering these questions is scary, but not as scary as what will happen to your life if you refuse to answer them, because refusing to answer these questions will very likely result in your potential to slowly withering and dying. Answering them allows you to connect with your hope, find your courage, and fulfill your potential. Answering them points you in the direction of the work you will fall in love with so that you can pursue mastery of your craft without complaint.

The process of answering these Essential Questions will produce endless amounts of hope and fear in your life. That might sound like a curse to some, but it is in fact an invaluable gift, because that means you have everything you need to tap into a limitless wellspring of courage. You are adapted to crave courage and value it above all else because courage allows you to survive and thrive through life's chaotic struggle, so you need courage in your daily life.

A reliable recipe for courage does exist, and you can use it to create courage in your daily life. The recipe is - align your decisions and actions with hope so that you never surrender to fear.

You can align your life with hope by asking and answering the Essential Questions. "Who am I? And what am I going to do about it? What is the biggest, most important problem I can solve with my gifts and skills? And what is my plan to solve it?"

Finding your personal answers to those Essential Questions allows you to "decide on your occupation... immerse yourself in your work... fall in love with your work ... never complain about your job... and dedicate your life to mastering your skill." When you do those things every day of your life, you will live a successful and honorable life. When you embody this philosophy of courage in your daily life, you will find the courage that you crave, and that will allow you to thrive. If you can do that, why would you decide to do anything else?