Go For It: The Power Of Boldness

Do you consider yourself bold or someone who goes for it with passion in life? Some of us do, but most people I know and work with, myself included, admit that they don't often think of themselves as a bold person. Or, if we've done or said bold things in our lives, they seem to be few and far between... and they also seem to scare us half to death. Hence, we often don't find ourselves going for it in our work and our life -- or not nearly as much as we'd like (especially these past few years).

Being bold, while scary and challenging for many of us, is essential if we're going to live an authentic, successful and fulfilling life. Boldness is about stepping up and stepping out onto our "edge" in life -- pushing the limits of what we think is possible or appropriate. It's about living, speaking, and acting in ways that are both courageous and true to who we really are.

Because we're all unique, our individual versions of boldness will look quite different. Something that might be "bold" for me, may not be so for you -- or vice versa. Going for it has to do with us getting in touch with our deepest truths, passions, and desires in life and then having the courage to live and act "out loud" in a way that is congruent with this.

Here are five key reminders of what it takes to be bold and go for it in life:

1. Be True to Yourself

Tell and live your truth with courage, vulnerability and commitment. We must also remain in a constant inquiry with ourselves about who we are and what's important to us. It's okay and necessary in this process to admit when we've made a mistake, gone off course, or done something that's out of integrity for with ourselves, as well as if we feel totally lost (which we will at times). Being true to who we are is about being ruthlessly honest and forgiving with ourselves (and with others) in a way that is both fierce and compassionate.

2. Live with Passion

Passion comes from within us, not from the external circumstances, events, activities or people in our lives. Being bold is about going for it, not holding back, and giving ourselves fully to our work, our relationships, and our lives. To do this we must generate authentic passion, which is both a powerful emotion as well as a state of being as well.

3. Step Out

Challenge yourself to say and do things that are outside of your comfort zone and that scare you. This will force you to "step out" in your life and step in to who you really are. We often don't think we're "ready," we sometimes don't know exactly what we're supposed to do, and we almost never have a guarantee that things will work out. So what! As Ray Bradbury famously said, "Jump, and build your wings on the way down."

4. Lean on Others

Support, inspiration, and accountability from other people are essential along our journey of boldness and authenticity. We can't do it all by ourselves and it's imperative that we reach out to others who believe in us, will tell us the truth, and can help us when we get stuck. Create a "dream team" of powerful and supportive people around you with whom you can share your hopes, dreams and ideas. And, be willing to ask for and receive their support, contribution and generosity.

5. When You Fall Down, Get Back Up

It's important to make peace with the fact that you will fall down, probably a lot, if you're really going for it and playing big in life. How we respond to falling down is what truly makes the difference in our lives. When we make a commitment to ourselves to get back up, dust ourselves off, be real about how we feel and what happened, and not let it stop us from being who we are and going for what we want -- we tap into what true power, boldness and authenticity are all about!

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Mike Robbins is a sought-after motivational keynote speaker, coach, and the bestselling author of "Focus on the Good Stuff" (Wiley) and "Be Yourself, Everyone Else is Already Taken" (Wiley). Find more information at www.Mike-Robbins.com.

 

 

 

Follow Mike Robbins on Twitter: www.twitter.com/mikedrobbins

Comments

[MikeDu]

12:09 AM on 02/22/2011

To quote Ogden Nash, "He who hesitates is sometimes saved". 
I have a 'bold and daring' relative who's now living with a broken back. And not a 'Hallmark Hall of Fame' inspiring TV movie broken back. A real broken back with all the horrors that it implies. From my casual observation of 'bold' people around me 'boldness' primarily leads to drug and/or alcohol dependence and quite possibly a lifelong chronic injury of some sort, eventually.

[juliastar]

10:02 AM on 02/23/2011

It would appear that you misunderstand the point of this article completely. I agree that whatever caused your relative's injury was rash and dangerous, but while s/he may have been being bold, it is highly likely they were also being reckless which is not the same thing.
Boldness is more about stepping outside your own or society's comfort zone to stretch your personality and your proverbial wings. It is more about passion, self-love and tenacity and less about risks, impulsiveness and danger. Self destruction through substance abuse or taking dangerous risks is clearly not the point of this article.

[Primadonna]

11:47 PM on 02/21/2011

I inherited boldness as a child while watching my father and older siblings organize protests in New Orleans against the closing of public schools when they were integrating them. Although I was just a child, I do remember hatred, men pointing guns at us, firebomb threats, and no one on our block but one family ever talking to us again. I think I might have become overly bold as I questioned much most of my life, usually hypocracy and injustice. I have learned, and not always the easy route, there is a time and place for boldness.

In realizing life is not a dress rehearsal, and bringing in awareness of intuitive knowingness, now that is when boldness can mature. I am writing a book about my escapades with boldness ... perhaps inspired by my principal in New Orleans when I was six years old coming into my classroom announcing before my classmates and beloved teacher that because of my father our school was going to be shut down and my teacher would have no job and there would be no more school for those kids to attend ... blaming me the six year old as if there was something I could do about it; and in laying my head down on my desk with my face in my hands so they couldn't see me, now that is where my boldness was born. Thanks for the article.

[couer]

07:37 PM on 02/21/2011

Mr. Robbins,

You must be Tony's brother. You seem to have the same motivational thought processes. And you use bullet points where just a few days ago a colleague of yours, (I'm guessing?) (Leahy) lost me. However, you did give me a renewed sense of spirit of how I would like to proceed with my future.

For that, I thank you.

[KathleenQYD]

04:06 PM on 02/21/2011

Mike, what you say makes sense... and perhaps, it is courage that is the underlying pre-requisite, even before boldness. Whatever it is, one thing's for sure. We are all unique in our expression of humanity. Hence, though we might follow the reminders noted (and they are great reminders) and live a life of inquiry and exploration, we must be as willing to have our blocks and challenges revealed as we are to see our inherent passion and purpose. The elements that make each one of us who we are, are critical to our development and our fulfillment. These cannot be accessed through our intellect and analysis no matter how hard we try. If we do come to them this way, usually we are simply stacking icing on mud pie, applying effort to correct some circumstance we can't be with or to fix something we see as broken. Ultimately, this isn't sustainable or fulfilling.
I think being with and in the process of our individual lives is the only way we gain access to all that is ours to accomplish.

[onlyThis]

04:04 PM on 02/21/2011

Ah yes the power of baldness. I know this quite well. Since I have gone bald I have been able to.....What.....what's that?.....oh.....nevermind.