A short motivational YouTube talk by Dr. Natalie Bitature urging listeners to "feel the fear and do it anyway" (crediting Susan Jeffries). She defines courage as acting despite fear, emphasizes that fear is normal even for admired people, and gives practical steps: notice the physical sensations of fear, practice taking small risks (saying what you mean, speaking to intimidating people), and incrementally build courage so you can face larger challenges like starting a business.
Chapters
Hi, I'm Dr. Natalie Bittere, and today I wanted to talk to all of us about fear. I always say, feel the fear and do it anyway. It's a wonderful saying by Susan Jeffries, and there's actually a book she wrote about it. The definition of courage is to act in spite of fear. That's what courage is. That's what it means. People who are brave or who are courageous or who you admire, they also get scared. It's not that they're not fearful, but they feel that fear. They know what it is, and yet they still go ahead. And I really implore everyone to try and do that more. Everybody gets scared, but unless you take chances, you'll never reap the benefits. You'll never succeed. The only way you're sure you will get a definite no or be a definite failure is if you never try. That's the only way I can tell you are 100% guaranteed to fail if you try. If you take that chance, if you feel that fear and you still push yourself and you do it and you overcome it, there's a chance you will succeed. You'll get that. Yes, you'll get that sale. You'll achieve that dream. So you have to learn to take that chance. And it's not that some people are just born more courageous or they just know how to feel that fear in the moment and keep going. Like heroes in a movie. You always see in movies, the hero is made first. They show you the story and the struggle they went through and then how they became the hero. So to be a hero in your own life, you have to go through that struggle. And it's about practicing. It's about feeling that fear and doing the right thing anyway or doing the thing you're scared to do. And you have to practice that in many small ways so that you build up to it. So that by the time you're taking on one of your greatest fears or the biggest risks or the biggest challenges in your life, you're ready, you know what it is, to feel that fear and to still jump in. So I suggest you start practicing with small things in your life. Start saying the thing that you really mean instead of being polite about something, or start taking a chance or a risk or speak to that person you're too scared to talk to that you're intimidated by, even if it's something like, how are you? I like this about you. Or asking them a question. Look at the small moments in your day where you feel that fear. Feel it in your body. You always feel fear physically as well. Whether it's in your stomach or your heart is beating, or you feel hot and sweaty, or your throat or your ears, everyone has a way that they feel that fear physically. So start noticing in your day when you feel scared, when you feel that fear, and see if you can push yourself to overcome it in small steps all the time. So that when it comes to a big decision, like starting a new business, you feel that fear, but you're now confident and strong enough in your own courage to take it on and to take the risk to jump, to make that leap, feel the fear and do it anyway.
