Achieving Greatness

"Greatness is only achieved in the absence of fear" - Author unknown

I often ponder on how Neil Armstrong managed to walk on the moon. Can you imagine that was done 40 years ago from today? What was the level of technology like then? I guess even a basic laptop computer that you use now will have better performance than whatever they used on board Apollo 11. So, how did they (Buzz Aldrin, Michael Collins, Neil Armstrong) get to the moon? And what drove them to do it?

Before 1969, no one has landed on the moon, although they were flights that orbited it. If you look at the history of space exploration, you will realise that it is not a ride on a train and there were plenty of risks. Failures that resulted in loss of communication with the crafts were common, failed launches, landings and many others. With all the known and unknown risks, why did the 3 astronauts still attempted to reach the moon?

President Barack Obama called the astronauts "Genuine Heroes".

"It is because of the heroism, the calm under pressure, the grace with which these three gentlemen operated, but also the entire NASA family that was able to, at great risk oftentimes and with great danger, was somehow able to lift our sights - not just here in the United States, but around the world," said Mr. Obama.

They calculated the risks that they had to take and overcame their fear to achieve a historic feat. You do not have to reach the moon or Mars to achieve greatness. But whenever you want to achieve more than what you have now, the first step is to remove all fear from your heart. Whether it is starting a new business, venturing into a new industry, conquering the highest peak, saving the world from global warming, it all starts with courage. You can have the perfect plan and strategies, but if you do not possess the courage to act, all your planning will be of no use.

3 Steps To Re-build Courage

"All our dreams can come true if we have the courage to pursue them." - Walt Disney

The difference between those who made it compared to those who did not, could sometimes be attributed to just courage. It makes a huge difference when it is time to make a decision whether to jump on board the ship or let it sail off into the vast ocean. With courage, the heart rules over the mind. Logical reasoning takes a step back. You just know that you have to do it, or else you will remain where you are for the rest of your life.

Is courage an in-born skill or learned over time? It is both. As a child, there is no lack of courage in you. Most likely you would have taken the first step as soon as you had the energy to lift up your feet. An open flame would not have stopped you from reaching out for it, though you would have learned that it was painful afterward. As you grow up, so do your "courage". You begin to defy instructions from your parents or teachers. The more you attempt to do things out of the norm, the better you become at making those decisions. However, over time, some kind angelic soul will tell you that is not right to do the things you did. Sometimes you listen, most of the time you do not. Without realising it, you gradually take more time to ponder before making decisions. You learn how to hesitate. When you reach adolescent, logical reasoning becomes your mastered skill, while courage sits in the back burner.

If you have lost your courage, can you re-discover it? The answer is a definite yes. Here are 3 steps that you can take to get acquainted again with the skill that you have in yourself:

1. Start small - Never been able to ask for a date with that dream partner? Get some friends together and organise a group outing, then invite your partner over. It will be easier than to ask for a one-to-one candlelight dinner. As time goes by, take it a step further from group outings to double dating, then go solo.
   
2. Learn from others - If you cannot push yourself to making decisions that are critical to your success, fret not. Instead of starting your own business when you are not ready, why not learn from someone who has started it? Learn how he start-up his business, how he prepared a business plan, where he found customers, who he obtained investments from.
3. Set goals - Write down your short and long term goals on paper. When you write them down, you will become more committed to achieve them. When you feel that you lack the courage to take that step forward, look at your goals. Do you truly want to reach your goals? If yes, what are you waiting for?