Courage VS Confidence

“You have plenty of courage, I am sure. All you need is confidence in yourself. There is no living thing that is not afraid when it faces danger. The true courage is in facing danger when you are afraid and that kind of courage you have in plenty” -The Wizard of Oz

This quote caught my attention a while back and has been on my mind recently. 

Sometimes I feel like I have tons of courage and, other times I feel like I have very little, but is it COURAGE that I’m lacking, or the CONFIDENCE to use that courage? I had the courage to move to Las Vegas. I had the courage to go cliff jumping (which was huge for me, by the way.  A year ago, I don’t think I would have done that). I had the courage to take risks and make huge life decisions. Then again, sometimes doing the smallest thing makes me feel vulnerable and seems to completely paralyze me.

So that must make it more about confidence, which I think most people struggle with on some level.  Sure, there are a few people in the world who are 100% confident in themselves and their abilities, but I think most of us often underestimate ourselves and what we are capable of.  The question I keep asking myself is, WHY?  It could be because of our childhood experiences, traumatic events, societal “norms”, our own wiring-of-our-brains, etc., but how long do we allow these things to dictate our future before we realize and recognize our own self worth? Personally, I know that I wouldn’t be here if I didn’t realize mine on some level, but I still wonder why I'm not always able to confidently and comfortably do exactly what I set out to do.

I think it starts with the belief that I can. You cannot passionately change your life without first, believing. You cannot step onto the stage wanting to give your most perfect performance without even a small part of you believing that you have the ability to do so.

Over a year ago I posted a photo on Instagram that said “What if, all of a sudden people discovered their true power and shed the shackles of a system that enslaves them?”  What IF everyone did start believing in themselves, their power and abilities? This world would change immensely! But I cannot change the world, so I'm starting with me to be better, be more confident and discover my true power.  I may doubt myself along the way, but I know that I’m capable.

Even though I'm beginning to realize that I may have more in common with the Cowardly Lion than I'd like to admit, I am also understanding that, in the end, he found out that it’s not that he didn’t have courage, but just that he didn’t fully believe in his own abilities.  He didn't trust in himself enough to use the courage that was innately within him. So maybe it's okay to have a little Cowardly Lion in me, maybe we all have some, we just get to believe and know that we have plenty of courage to face our fears.

XOXO,

Dorothy in Sin City