The only place in the world where confidence comes before courage is in the dictionary.
Confidence can be taught. No different than learning to ride a bike.
Confidence doesn’t require prior success or years of experience. Confidence is composed of three components all of which are under your control.
Preparation, self-talk, and body language.
We’ve all been fed a lie that we need more confidence. You can have all the confidence in the world but without the courage to act, it doesn’t matter.
Courage requires guts. Courage requires action. Courage requires putting yourself out there. One of the unexpected outcomes of this journey has been my ability to recognize that I need more courage.
More courage to ask people if they know of anyone who is looking for an inspirational keynote speaker.
More courage to love my wife and kids unconditionally.
More courage to continue writing.
More courage to remove any and all masks and become more vulnerable.
More courage to share my faith and the amazing things God is doing in my life.
This newfound courage has allowed a paradigm shift only made possible by becoming open to new experiences.
One of these new experiences is my appreciation and admiration for poetry. Recently, I came across a poetry contest for aspiring and accomplished poets and submitted a full manuscript of original pieces.
Here’s to having more courage and putting ourselves out there.
Below is one of the pieces that was submitted as part of the submission:
Whistleblower
haven’t earned my SAG card
but that hasn’t stopped me from acting
playing charades
and the words won’t come out
i’ve lied and tried
trying to impress people
put on my suit and tie, Fletcher Reede
plenty of experience
blowing the whistle
before it was on the court
now it’s on myself
trying to avoid being hit, this isn’t dodgeball or Phys, Ed
my mind feels like I’m stuck in a cabin during a snowstorm, Snowden
i want to leave my, Mark
i want others to feel, Felt
tell you all my secrets, Watergate