Take a bold step

Bold adj.

1. Fearless and daring; courageous.

2. Requiring or exhibiting courage and bravery.

3. Unduly forward and brazen; impudent: a bold, sassy child.

4. Clear and distinct to the eye; conspicuous: a bold handwriting.

5. Steep or abrupt in grade or terrain: bold cliffs.

6. Printing Boldface

“Whatever you do, or dream you can, begin it. Boldness has genius and power and magic in it.” ~ Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

“People who make no mistakes lack boldness and the spirit of adventure. They are the brakes on the wheels of progress.” ~ Dale Turner

“You only live once, but if you do it right, once is enough.” ~ Mae West

A while ago I attended a talk by Amelia Russell, the youngest female explorer to walk 500 miles to the geographic North Pole unsupported.

In 2010 she and Dan (now her husband) took 57 days to complete their challenge.

Leading up to their expedition, they trained every weekend for two years, pulling 4 car tyres up and down tracks in Suffolk to build up their strength.

Whilst they were in the Arctic, some of the hardships they encountered include:

  • Each pulling a sledge weighing twice their body weight
  • Being cold, constantly hungry and surviving on 4 hours sleep every day
  • Falling on ice that was as hard as concrete was a frequent occurrence
  • Amelia dislocated her shoulder twice, once when she was alone and had fallen into the water
  • She lost 10 kg in body weight and suffered malnutrition.

What intrigued me is that Amelia and Dan took on the challenge because they were more likely to fail than to succeed. Athletes competing in the Olympics must face a similarly difficult task.

As I listened to Amelia’s awe-inspiring presentation, heard about the arduous training, the fundraising, the mental preparation as well as the challenges they faced during their two month journey, I thought about what drives some people to push themselves in this way.

Yet we all consider bold actions at different stages of our lives. It may be a job change, a move to an unfamiliar place, a decision to leave an unfulfilling relationship.

What would be a bold action for you?

For you it might be a step outside your comfort zone rather than a journey like Amelia’s, or training to compete in the Olympics, but nevertheless a challenge it is.

Some years ago I changed my job, going from a secure permanent role to a new job on a one-year fixed term contract.

Most people thought I was mad. “What about your pension?” they said to me. Actually, I never looked back!

I think the rewards we reap by challenging ourselves and taking bold actions (as we ourselves define them) justify the decisions we make. If you’re looking for inspiration, this list of 100 ways to show boldness offers some ideas about where to start.

After all, as Master Coach Julio Olalla says, “a life absent of boldness is a sure path to regret.

 

 

 

 

 

Photo by Kristopher Roller on Unsplash