A new direction with my site has been brewing for the past few weeks. A new me. Part of me wanted to align the content from my memoir and yet, I’m also wearing all these other hats: radio show host, book marketer for writers and entrepreneurs.

So I had a strategy call with my writing coach, editor and publisher. We both agreed that my website, as it stands now, needs a rehaul. Naturally, we looked to my memoir’s themes to see how to extend the platform.

The answer stared at me in the face: courage. courage has played over and over in my life’s theme.

Courage to leave New York City to  serve in the IDF. Courage to leave family in Israel and start again in an unknown place. (Those are drastic acts of courage). Courage to write a memoir. Courage to start a business. Courage to start a Pubslush campaign. Courage to have a second child.

So I started to rebrand my messaging and content.

This video will give you a sneak peak of my new direction. Note: I’m looking to interview heart-centered folks for my radio show Giving Voice to Your Story. If you’re interested, feel free to leave a comment below.

In a nutshell, why is having courage so important?

It allows you to break free from fear. When fear doesn’t run your life, you are unstoppable. Fear seems to be the number one cause that stops people from pursuing their dreams and desires. Or stepping into a larger version of themselves.

We need to talk about it more – what it feels and looks like with actionable steps. We often think we need super-hero powers to move mountains, but the truth is, that we can…

1. Start small. People often associate courage with big outcomes: get a new job, move to a new place, start a new relationship. The truth is that courage is best cultivated when you can start small. Having the courage to dream. Having the courage to write your desires down in a journal. Having the courage to visualize your life. Recently, I rediscovered the courage to dream up my life. I’ll be sharing that experience here very soon.

2. Share from your heart. Having the courage to share with our family and friends our life vision or desires is an important part of claiming who you are. Hear yourself state what you may have considered impossible helps you break free from the “what-ifs” and “you can’t do this.”

You may have thought that your partner doesn’t support your vision. Sharing from your deep desires can help. Recently I had a money conversation around the obstacles with my husband and to my surprise, he completely supported my desire of hire a publicist for my memoir Accidental Soldier.

3. Believe.  Courage supported by faith.  Once you reach the level of belief, nothing can stand in your way! Faith is the spiritual compass that nurtures courage. In my memoir Accidental Soldier: A Memoir of Service and Sacrifice in the Israel Defense Forces, (She Writes Press, 2016) my character takes courageous steps to leave my mother and New York City, but all too often I feel vulnerable and exposed. To compensate I develop “mantras” that come from my higher-up or what I call my “Jedi” voice to help me deal with my perceived fears and doubts. When I gave birth to my second daughter, I had to really had to step into that Jedi voice all over again in order to deliver her as a VBAC.  That Jedi voice was no less the force of belief.

4. Listen. Our bodies and souls know deeply what they need. I love this quote (left) because it’s true. Courage doesn’t roar, but it’s that quiet yet steady voice that wants and needs more. Maybe you’re in great need of a change but don’t know where to start? Listen to your voice. Ask what it wants. What’s missing from your life? Meditation and journaling are great intuitive tools to give voice to those subconscious messages.

5. Read. I’m a great fan of connecting to everyday people who are doing great things in the world. Their individual circumstances give me greater understanding of their own “science.” How do they overcome certain obstacles? The voice of courage is strongest when in story form because you can really connect with that person’s motivations.

Cheryl Strayed’s iconic story of hiking the Pacific Crest Trail in Wild tells of how  emotional circumstances brought her to connect with her soul. As she debated whether to hike the PCT, she connected with the voice of reason, but emotions had the final say. She wanted to step into her true self. To redefine herself again. She wanted to step into something bigger and larger than herself. She activated courage to get there.

6. Visualize. This is becoming a powerful exercise for me but I need to do it regularly to generate a habit. When you see yourself doing something as if you’ve accomplished it already, you are activating courage to move forward with your desires. A vision board would be a great way to cement this desire.

7. Repeat steps #1-6. Courage is a mindful ongoing practice. It’s like training for a marathon. But each time it gets easier. Because it’s such an internal and individual thing, we have to nurture it properly. That takes time and energy and focus.

Need more help?

If you’ve found these steps helpful, have a look at my free e-course, Blog your Book and Build Your Platform with Courage.” Simply opt-in at the upper right hand side of this blog’s home page and your first lesson will be on its way to your inbox.