Everything in Life Requires Courage-At Least the Good Things!

By Julie Isphording

Fear dominates our lives. We are afraid of so many things—rejection, failure, criticism, suffering heartaches, change. We are even afraid to be ourselves.

Fear can paralyze the human spirit.

On the other hand, courage is essential to the human experience. Courage animates us, brings us to life, and makes everything else possible. And yet, courage is so hard to learn, feel, and find in all of us.

You see, no one is born with courage. It is an acquired virtue that you must work hard at—just like learning to ride a bike by riding a bike, and learning to run by running, and learning to write by writing.

Courage is acquired by practicing courage which can become stronger each day.

So, take a crash course every day. How about going after that dream you have been thinking about? Visiting a quiet church in the middle of the day? Taking a walk in the park? Keeping a promise? Say yes instead of maybe? Saying “sorry?” Taking a trip? Telling your mom/spouse/child that you love them?

The best gift you can give to yourself, and others is to courageously live from your heart—your whole heart. You will come to realize that perhaps the measure of your life will be the measure of your courage.

What foods are so full of trans fats that you should avoid them?

Food makers use trans fats to enhance taste and texture and make foods last longer. Unfortunately, that’s not all trans fats do. They also increase your risk for many chronic diseases, such as heart disease, stroke and type 2 diabetes and weight gain. Avoid these:

• Cakes, pies, and cookies (especially with frosting)
• Biscuits
• Breakfast sandwiches
• Margarine (stick or tub)
• Crackers
• Microwave popcorn
• Cream-filled candies
• Doughnuts
• Fried fast foods
• Frozen pizza

What is the first thing you should do when you’re feeling overwhelmed or frustrated?

Pause. Take a moment (or take a nap!). It is an opportunity to catch your breath and put things into perspective.

What are four of the most “addictive” foods?

• French fries

Potatoes have a high glycemic index. That’s a technical way of saying the carbs in potatoes really raise your blood sugar levels — quickly. They also stimulate the reward centers in your brain. You eat a big plate of French fries, and then you want more. Or you crave other high-glycemic foods such as candy bars.

• Soda

The sugar in soda stimulates the reward system in your brain, too. Over time, you need larger and sweeter amounts to trigger the same level of reward. One might do the trick today, but before you know it, you’re drinking several.

• Pizza

Highly processed foods — most pizza included — have been associated with addiction-like eating behaviors. The heavily processed grains in many crusts are high on the glycemic index. The way they’re processed removes the bran and germ from the grain. That makes the crust easier to digest, which causes your blood sugar to rapidly rise. You end up with that same, familiar blood sugar roller coaster.

• Ice Cream

The creamy satisfaction ice cream provides is due to the fat-rich quality that our brain and body love— along with plenty of stimulating sugar, too.

I have been working out for four weeks and I’m not seeing results! How come?

What are you measuring? If you are just measuring weight loss, you might miss all the other great stuff. At the beginning of each week, write down a few ways that last week’s workouts made you feel better. Are you sleeping more soundly? Perhaps you have more patience? Are you more productive at work? Did you meet a new friend in yoga class? Did you notice that you can do one more mile of running? More push-ups? A better downward dog? Did your kids compliment you? There are so many great benefits

Why do we procrastinate?

Do any of these reasons sound familiar?

• “I Don’t Feel Like Doing It.”

Lack of motivation is a commonly given reason for not attending to an unpleasant task. Most procrastinators believe that something is wrong with them if they do not feel motivated to begin a task. This simply is not true. How many folks do you imagine feeling motivated and energized by the prospect of drafting a report, or changing the oil in the car, or doing taxes?

• “But I Don’t Know How.”

Skill deficits are one of the most basic reasons for procrastination. If you lack the skills to complete certain tasks, it is only natural to avoid doing them.

• “But What If I Can’t Cut It?”

Fear of failure is another reason people procrastinate. It goes something like this: If I really try hard and fail, that is worse than if I don’t try and end up failing. The payoff for procrastinating is protecting ourselves from the possibility of perceived “real” failure. Perfectionism often underlies the fear of failure.

• “How Can I Top This?”

“Fear of success” can be the other side of “fear of failure.” Here you procrastinate because you are fearful of the consequences of your achievements. Maybe you fear that if you do well, then next time, you will be expected to do more. Or, perhaps, succeeding may place you in the spotlight when you prefer the background.

• “This Stuff Is Just Plain Boring.”

Lack of interest plays a role in procrastination.

• “You Can’t Make Me.”

Procrastination–delaying tactics—can be a form of rebellion against imposed schedules, standards, and expectations.

­­­­­­­Olympian Julie Isphording is the director of the Western & Southern Thanksgiving Day Race, an author, and loves to keynote speak. Her talks on living a happy life include unforgettable props, lots of laughter, and a few tears. Write to her at julie.isphording@gmail.com.