Is it Possible to be Shy and Bold, at the Same Time?
Life takes courage; the more courage you exhibit, the more fulfilled you will feel in life.
However, there is a catch.
Because all areas of our lives are connected — career, family, relationships, finance, personal development, spirituality, health, etc. — if we lack courage in an area, this can threaten our happiness in life, overall.
For example, the workaholic who has achieved a big title and a nice-sized bank account, but hasn’t done the necessary work to foster a good relationship with his family, can find himself not wanting for anything financially, but longing for connection or community. These unsatisfactory feelings can overflow into the empire he built at work. If he does not find the courage to face and make changes in the area of family relationships, he might soon find himself lacking confidence and courage in the area in which he was strongest, his career.
Bold and Shy???
Recently, I’ve been asking myself: Is it possible to be shy and bold at the same time?
Here I am doing some daring things that push the bounds of my comfort zone. I quit my job, sold all my belongings, moved to a foreign (French-speaking) country, and recommitted to building my business. By my standards, these are pretty bold things to do. I’m so grateful for the courage, resilience, and confidence that I mustered, through faith, to do these things.
But it feels a little weird that I can do all that, and yet struggle to meet new people and make new friends. How is it that I still find it difficult to strike up a conversation with a stranger?
What is it about talking to strangers that is so scary and makes me nervous? Perhaps it’s the idea that if I speak, the other person might not respond. This has happened to me before, but I survived. Maybe being the one to break the ice is something that doesn’t come naturally to me. Perhaps I’m insecure about my ability to speak French well.
Whatever the reason, I have committed to work on this area of my life. It’s an area that I haven’t dared to work through and master before. Now is the time!
Take Courageous Action Daily
Eleanor Roosevelt said, “Do one thing each day that scares you.” With that as my rallying cry, I will speak to at least one stranger a day, and I will track my progress in a personal, daily journal. I will do this until it feels like second nature to me.
Have I set the bar too low? Maybe.
But I am placing it here strategically. The secret to staying committed and reaching your goals is to see continual progress, to have constant wins. With this goal, at the end of each day, I will know my progress. Did I speak with one person? What did I say? How did I feel? Is it getting any easier?
In doing this, I will begin to break my habit of shyness. I will improve my confidence in the process. Additionally, the extensive accomplishments and strides I’ve already made will remain intact and continue to foster my belief in myself and help others to believe in themselves, too. It will allow me to continue to move forward and live an even bigger, bolder life.
