Throughout our lives, situations arise that challenge us or frighten us; events that demand determination and courage from us, to overcome fear, doubt and negligence. Some, however, do not take certain risks and choose to settle and live with less than they could achieve. Keep reading.
Life is a dynamic scene characterized by multiple surprises and changes. Faced with these frequent changes, often unexpected, we can assume different positions: paralyze, postpone, act timidly or rise above fear and take risks.
This ability to take risks with the idea of surpassing or improving is what is known as audacity. The person of bold conduct, advances towards her dreams in spite of the difficulties and dangers, because she trusts her ability to find effective ways to crystallize her desires. The audacious considers that the prize is worth that risk, that price that he has decided to pay. In other words, boldness is the ability to act despite fear.
Audacity is a powerful lever point that generates changes, as it mobilizes its resources despite not having optimal conditions, or requiring special or additional efforts. Thanks to this very special quality, we have been able to overcome, as individuals, couples, families or groups, difficult moments before which passivity or resignation would have been fatal.
Overcoming financial hardship, recovering from illness, filing for divorce, or defending yourself from assailants are situations that can demand boldness. Even to enjoy a dignified life, based on peace, justice, freedom and prosperity, a certain degree of boldness may be required.
It must be said that like everything, audacity must have limits, it must use reason, because when it is placed on the edges of recklessness, it can generate accidents, diseases and even death. Betting an amount is not the same as betting everything. The calculated risk is the strategy of those who are brave but also intelligent.
There are many who value and support the bold attitude: Baltasar Gracián's fine pen wrote: "Put a gram of boldness in everything you do." Seneca said that many things were difficult for those who lacked the audacity to undertake them. According to John Dewey, the advance of science is due to the audacity of the imagination. And for the genius of strategy, Nicolás Machiavelli, "it is better to do and repent, than not to do and repent."
Bolívar was daring when he faced a war that led him to be the Liberator of five nations; Gandhi was brave when attacked, humiliated and imprisoned, he became irreducible and under the holy slogan of "non-violence", he achieved the political liberation of India; the mother who goes out to work to obtain a livelihood and raise his children with dignity is brave; the boy who demands from his father not to mistreat his mother is bold; and the worker who boldly requests his boss to respect the agreements that have been established is bold.
In general, audacity is related to youth and prudence is related to maturity, although in Luis Alberto Machado's opinion, a good part of the creative genius of many intellectuals, arose when they were between 60 and 80 years old.
Audacity is usually the product of confidence, despair or madness. Those who believe they can, those who have nothing to lose and those who do not adequately gauge the degree of danger take risks. In all cases, taking risks produces greater and better results than those derived from inertia or apathy.
Also, if we look closely, life is risk. No one knows if he will wake up the next day. so it is not possible to live without risk.
Arguably, in neuroscientific terms, there is a biochemistry of boldness. Science has discovered that exploratory behaviors and positive expectations increase Dopamine levels in the blood, which produces a feeling of euphoria and pleasure. This means that boldness accompanied by optimistic thoughts is emotionally gratifying, but when the risks are taken from a negative or pessimistic perspective, the area of the brain that governs fear, the limbic zone, specifically the so-called «brain tonsils» is activated. »
It is possible to learn boldness although some already come endowed with a risky temperament that drives them to adventure. Others are born with a sensitive nervous system. According to Jerome Kagan, a psychologist at Harvard University, the number of subjects likely to run away from risks and maintain emotional stability and comfort would be 20%. Although he claims that with effort and a proper context, they can overcome these limitations.
Some useful suggestions for developing boldness are:
- Take a small risk every day. Creating an emotional change requires producing a change in the brain, and the best way to do it is to take small repeated and sustained steps over time. Train yourself. Practice generates dominance. Take risks where you can lose or make mistakes without being too affected. Inviting someone to dance, requesting a phone from someone they like, or asking for a price cut will work. Accept a margin of error. Assume that small failures are tolerable, and will lead you to great opportunities. Risk more where it's needed most. If you need a partner, take a risk there, if you require money, take more risk options and search in that sector of your life. Plan. Taking risks does not mean doing crazy things. You can try to control the details and make sure more hits every time.
Put these suggestions into practice and you will have better results. Think that daring is a requirement for success. Life is resignation or risk. Thanks for reading me. Twitter: @doctorrenny.
Miguel Angel Cornejo then gives a very interesting and brief talk on the power of daring.
