Failure is an ominous word to many, but it shouldn’t be a bad thing. It can seem scary and, obviously, it isn’t the outcome most people hope for. But, failing can be a teaching moment along your journey to help you get closer to reaching your dreams. Stand With. Sometimes, a colleague may need support and you can express your bravery by standing with them. If a co-worker has been wronged, overlooked or verbally dismissed, it is a great time to stand with them. When a co-worker is belittled by a boss in a meeting, you can speak up on her behalf, reinforcing her performance. You can stand with teammates in a constructive way that is also firm and determined. Confronting your fear is about understanding the underlying reasons why you’re afraid in the first place. Consider your decision. If you're facing a situation that might mean making a brave but difficult decision, take some time to think it over. If you feel strongly about what needs to be done, you can use that to help boost your courage in the moment. Conviction is a major factor in courage. Ask yourself:

To help you do this, I’ve collaborated with my brother Justin Brown to create an online personal responsibility workshop. We give you a unique framework for finding your best self and achieving powerful things.

Is fear always a bad thing?

Start every day with self-affirmations. Self-affirmations are phrases or mantras that are personally meaningful to you. You can repeat them to express kindness and acceptance to yourself. Although it may sound cheesy, self-affirmations can actually help boost your confidence over time. [17] X Research source [18] X Research source

Sometimes we work ourselves up to believe we are facing a huge danger that requires all our bravery. When in reality, most of the drama is simply in our heads. There are so many ways to be brave in this world. Sometimes bravery involves laying down your life for something bigger than yourself, or for someone else. Sometimes it involves giving up everything you have ever known, or everyone you have ever loved, for the sake of something greater. Not overnight, sure. But as time passes, it becomes more and more obvious, and by the time you’ve realized what’s happening, you’ve already lost a significant amount of strength and size.Over-confidence is harder to identify than fear, because it’s a very positive feeling. Confidence feels good, and so does over-confidence. We don’t feel afraid, because we have not properly evaluated the risks. In other words, doing whatever you’re afraid of most leads to your biggest growth as a human being. For example, if we have long wanted to take someone to court for something awful that happened to us as a child, that’s a great reason to find your bravery. But to suddenly decide to do that three months into your first pregnancy, when you need to be calm and healthy, that might self-sabotage. 6. Ask good questions. But, as with many things, being brave might be easier said than done. It takes some serious inner work to make brave decisions and live courageously. Learning How to Be Brave