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Hi ya Ass kickers!
Today we’ve got another great episode for you with my long-time friend and super awesome all-around woman, Kate Courageous. Kate is a coach, writer and speaker who teaches people about working with fear, how to practice with courage in the face of fear.
I brought Kate on because this topic is ever-present for most of us and something I continue to be committed to working on in my own life, and sharing that journey with all of you. Too often we think we’re being courageous by doing everything on our own and “handling” our problems by ourselves because we don’t want to bother or burden others. This is you, right? Thought so!
Although Kate now teaches that these are just voices in our heads, and we must do what’s contrary to them in order to grow. Kate teaches, and I concur, that it’s when we ask for others’ support that we are most courageous.
But Kate wasn’t always a courage coach. It wasn’t until she went on a courageous journey herself that she understood the magnitude of what’s possible when you embrace courage despite your internal fears and nagging voices.
We also talk about:
- Kate and I both have internal voices that want us to isolate: true or false?
- What's the #1 hurtful and divisive thing that women do to one another?
- Why it’s important to be courageous and vulnerable in every part of your life.
- What's the hardest emotion for us to feel as human beings?
- What is the new perfectionism, according to Kate?
- And much more!
Her journey began when she wanted to spend a month in Italy and at the time she was a life coach but was also working full-time as a college professor in San Francisco. She was making $35k a year, not a lot when you factor in the cost of living in the Bay area. But she made a commitment to do whatever she needed to do to make it happen.
A year later she had saved up enough to afford her trip and she went for it. It was an amazing experience, and when she returned Kate realized it had all boiled down to choice. She chose to make it happen, she chose to realize her dream despite her fears and doubts. And she knew the courage it took for her to do so, now she wanted to share that with others and help them embrace fear and courage as she had. So she revamped her entire coaching practice and began building it one client at a time.
I also asked Kate about how we can practice courage in our friendships and she gives us three ways to do so. The first we discussed earlier: reaching out and asking for help, even when that voice in our heads doesn’t want us to.
Another way we can practice courage is by healing our past. If we’re having a difficult time asking for help or feel like we shouldn’t bother our friends with our anger, our sadness or any other “negative” feelings Kate suggests we have wounds from past experiences. When in the past did we express a feeling and get hurt in the process? That’s what needs to be healed, according to Kate. Therapy, anyone?
The third way we can practice courage in our friendships is by stopping the shit talk. There’s a difference between venting and shit-talking, we need to be sure we walk that line and express ourselves without bringing others down in the process. Her new commitment for this year to stop all shit-talking!
Kate and I talk about a lot more on this episode, including the correlation between courage and gratitude and how courage is the birthplace of worthiness. Listen in to hear our thoughts and suggestions on all of this on the 44th edition of The Your Kick-Ass Life Podcast!
Resources:
Kate Courageous’ website
Kate Courageous on Twitter
Voxer app
Kate’s episode of YKAL on Fear
Kate Swoboda (a.k.a. Kate Courageous) is the author of the Courageous Living Program, founder of the Courageous Living Coach Certification, and creator of YourCourageousLife.com, where she defines courage as feeling afraid, diving in anyway, and transforming. Her approach combines straight-shooting, pragmatic wisdom with playfully poking at self-imposed limitations of who you are and what’s truly possible for you.
Kate was deemed one of the top 50 bloggers making a difference in fitness, health, and happiness by Greatist. She’s written for The Daily Love, ProBlogger, MindBodyGreen, Lifetime Moms, and was a breakout session speaker at the 2012 World Domination Summit.
Photo credit: In Her Image photography, based in Petaluma, CA.
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Right click to download the .mp3.
