Creating Your Own Courage

Life Coaching Tip: Courage is created, not found. In this post, inspired by Cleveland’s fearless surfers, you’ll discover how to generate your own motivation even when conditions aren’t ideal. If you’ve been waiting to feel ready, it’s time to learn how to fire yourself up and take that first step.

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As I lifted my pup, Ginger, out of the car Wednesday evening, I could hear them before I could see them.  Their shouts and cheers echoing through the wind.

The lake was wild that night, as the squalls howled across the waves. Still, the surfers’ voices carried through.

Surfing, in Cleveland? Yep, I know it sounds strange.

But there they were, wetsuited and fearless, riding the chilly fall waves like it was the middle of summer. It was in the 40s, the kind of cold that makes you want to cozy up. But not the surfers. They were laughing and yelling — doing the thing that makes them feel fully alive!

I love the sound of their hooping and hollering as they psych themselves up to ride the big ones.

Because that’s exactly what courage sounds like.

It’s the sound of people choosing excitement over comfort. Passion over predictability. Aliveness over hesitation.

And every time I see them, I think about how hard it must be just to get in that water. It’s freezing, and the waves are volatile.

Yet almost every night when the lake isn’t frozen, even when it’s in the teens, they’re out there.

That’s motivation in motion.

It’s not something they wait for; it’s something they create.

When my clients tell me they don’t feel inspired to act on something they really want, I remind them: inspiration doesn’t magically appear, it’s generated.

Our thoughts ignite our emotions, and those emotions fuel our actions.

So, if there’s something you’ve been wanting to do but you’ve been waiting to “feel ready,” think of those Cleveland surfers.

What would your version of their hooping and hollering look like?

How can you fire yourself up to take those first brave steps?

Start by reconnecting to your why. Visualize yourself already there — goal achieved, dream realized — and let yourself feel it. Get giddy. Get energized!

And when your mind starts to slip into overwhelm, bring it back. One step at a time. One wave at a time. Because that’s how it’s done.

But before you leap, power yourself up. Do whatever helps you tap into that “let’s gooooo!” energy.

Play your hype song. Move your body. Breathe deeply. Let out a primal scream!

Remind yourself why this matters and what’s waiting on the other side.

Courage doesn’t appear out of nowhere, my friend. You develop it with intention, emotion, and that one bold decision that says, “It’s happening!”

The surfers don’t wait for calm waters. They fire themselves up and paddle out anyway.

And you can, too.

xo Tracy