7 Ways to Being Bold

1. Choose To Embody Aliveness. The thing with me is that I love challenges. So even while I feel
the fear, I go ahead anyway. The dread of not being alive outweighs the frustration of being
stuck in a numbing comfort zone. Hence, I put myself on all kinds of adventures and hmmm…
sometimes recklessly too.

I remember the time when I sailed single handled in the open sea, despite having insufficient
practice in reading wind directions. I sailed from the shore, without knowing how to turn my
boat back. Obviously I had to be rescued when my boat capsized. It would have been nice to end
the adventure with a flourish by being rescued with a dashing hero. Except that I was saved by a
grumpy friend who was unhappy that I took a risk.

I am not suggesting that you get careless and take unsound risks. However, you would need to
make a choice in how you would like to live. The questions you need to ask yourself are: What
happens if you don’t start a new adventure, undertake an exciting project or choose to live
differently? How would you feel 10, 20 or 30 years down the road? But what happens if you do?
Make the choice to feel alive, if you don’t want to live a life of regrets.

2. Let Go of Wanting Perfection. Many of us want to look perfect. We have got important self
images to protect. We would like to have the perfect plan before we proceed on an adventure.
We like to do long calculations, detailed strategizing, weigh our pros and cons endlessly, and
make massive backup/recovery plans. We want to know that our plans won’t fail us. And then
we won’t also look like failures.

Well, avoid wanting things to be 100% perfect. It’s your ego that is wanting you to look
successful, complete and secure. Refrain from getting paralyzed by what it says. Instead, be bold.
Brace yourself for more exciting and wonderful things to happen!

3. Work on Your Beliefs. You are probably fearful because you believe that you can’t. However,
if you believe that you can’t, then it becomes a self fulfilling prophecy. But what if you believe
the opposite? What if you program yourself to take on new beliefs? Since beliefs are made from
thoughts, it is possible to change your thoughts to make new beliefs.

4. Do Something Differently for a Change. Do something that you don’t usually do. Go beyond
your comfort zone. For instance, wear something flaming red instead of your usual somber
black. Or ask someone out for a change, instead of waiting endlessly for the phone to ring.

5. Try A Sporting Activity That Requires Guts. Some sports or activities require you to first have
courage. You will invariably feel inspired when you are able to do them.

Let me share my story. For years, I have been afraid of being in water. Reason being that I am
not a good swimmer. However, in my early adult years, I decided that I did not wish to live with
the fear any longer. I took up a bunch of seasports in succession: sailing, water-skiing,
wakeboarding, wind surfing and diving. I realized that once I got the adrenalin going, things got
easier and easier.
Having such experiences can offer positive anchoring states. When you do visualizations for
future situations, recall these past experiences to help you shift into confidence and courage.

6. Read Stories of Heroes or Heroines.Get inspired by the stories of heroes or heroines. All of
them have displayed some form of courage. Have pictures of these people on our vision boards.
They are our role models. They are our defining images. They are our beacons of hope.

7. Be Inspired by a Higher Vision. When you feel drawn to a higher calling, you would naturally
find yourself wanting to be bold. I noticed that boldness was chosen as a desired energy to align
with by a few of the participants during my Vision Board Mastery Workshop last Saturday.

“When you weave passion into the higher vision of bringing meaning into the lives of others, you revive
a power that you have not previously accessed. As in the hero archetype, you find yourself being able to
command the wind, quell a storm, deliver an air-bending move and destroy a terrifying enemy. Gold is
the meaning through which you shine with purpose.”