A Call for Boldness!
by Gary Ryan Blair

Those who act boldly are recognizing both a fundamental right as well as a pragmatic reality!  

Have you ever noticed who gets the most respect and the most rewards? Look closely and notice that it's not the wallflowers, it's not the people that sit back and wait for others to do things for them.  

Those who have accomplished much, have been men and women with a spirit of boldness and adventure. They are those who are willing to challenge and constantly question even the existence of the comfort zone, they try new ideas, and are willing to attempt the seemingly impossible.

The men and women that reach the upper echelon of success are the ones that act boldly. They thrive under pressure and take the risks and actions that lesser people are just too afraid to attempt.

What do I mean by boldness? Boldness is the act of responding to a situation in a manner that may be viewed as daring to some, but is essential to effectively address the issue at hand. 

By boldness, I do not mean being rude, reckless, insensitive, arrogant, or a bully. None of these attributes are acceptable to any of us ... ever!

Why is it that some people tend to be bold while others seem to hesitate? How can you become bold in your actions? 

Keep reading and I'll tell you how to dramatically increase your performance by developing this skill, habit, attitude and imperative characteristic.

Bold Actions Speak Bold Volumes

"There is no more liberating, no more exhilarating experience than to determine one's position, state it bravely, and then to act BOLDLY." 
- Eleanor Roosevelt

Boldness is a spirited word that eloquently describes bravery. It takes a great deal of boldness to confront and tackle the issues in today's society with a straightforward approach. 

Boldness isn't inherited. It's a characteristic that will blossom with the determination you have to live an uncommon life of bravery. 

Boldness comes when you begin to make valued decisions and move forward for what you believe in. By challenging individual growth and creating goals you are bringing clarity to your dreams and energy that will revitalize your mind, body, and spirit.

Both boldness and timidity are acquired habits. They are learned behavior, and because they are learned behavior you can choose to replace timidity with boldness by doing two things:

1. Make a decision to act with boldness and confidence.

2. Learn how.

The truth of the matter is that high achievers learn to be bold in their actions, just as they can learn how to be timid. The trick is to cultivate boldness from within. 

When you are facing a decision to act, consider it as an opportunity to prove your worth. The first thing you must do is decide whether you want to take action or not. This is where the spirit of boldness comes into play. 

Any action you take is an opportunity to improve yourself, to advance your lot in life and achieve greater success. Because people lack confidence, they also lack the aggressive boldness which is needed in order to have an impact on the world around us.

Don't let an opportunity pass in your life, and don't you dare allow fear to be your scapegoat.  

You Can Do It!  

The person who consistently displays bold behavior will far out-perform the person who does not. A behavior of boldness helps propel a person beyond what he or she might otherwise achieve. 

In fact, boldness has such a profound impact on the effectiveness of one's performance that I find it curious that this trait is not more talked about as a fundamental ingredient of success.

You don't have to be a big shot to be bold. Often the most normal people suddenly achieve great heights because they learn the power that lies in acting boldly. When David faced Goliath he was more than just the underdog: he was road kill. 

But you know how that turned out. David acted boldly, even though everyone else thought he had a screw loose and slew the mighty Goliath. 

The story is now legend; an example to the world that shows that it's the bold that makes history. The timid? Well, they can read about it in the papers and live their life in agonizing mediocrity. 

No Guts - No Glory!  

Call it what you want, but cultivating boldness, audacity or even chutzpah is no accident, nor is it an easy task. It takes guts. In fact, training yourself to act boldly usually takes a lot of blood, sweat and tears over many years. 

But it can be done, and if you want to be successful, if you want to be the one enjoying the fruits of your labor, then you must train yourself. And the best way to train yourself is the same way you get to Carnegie Hall, you must practice, practice, practice!

Audacity or boldness has always been a feature of successful outcomes. More goals and dreams have been defeated because of lack of boldness than for any other reason.  

The surest way to get comfortable with high performance is by telling yourself: this needs to be done, I'm the one to get it done, and I'm going to get it done at all costs. 

Tell yourself this every time you are faced with the possibility to act and advance yourself. Make it happen, do what you've got to do, and you'll gain the reputation of being a doer. 

Boldness is the ability to dare to do those difficult things. it means standing out from the crowd. Sometimes a bold act may never be popular, but that does not diminish the fact it maybe the right thing to do. Again, this takes courage to proceed. Popularity may only come when the prudence of an act is recognized. 

Relying on the bold acts of others, or criticizing them, will not bring satisfaction into our lives. Only the actions we take will change, or better, ourselves. 

Moving to do what we know is right and good can often be a feat of daunting proportion. But when we step up to the challenge with boldness, the proportions diminish and we can face obstacles with assurance of success. 

Watch Your Mouth! 

Talk is cheap. Any fool can shoot their mouth off at anytime without ever backing their words with actions as most fools do. Such people quickly gain bad reputations and in the majority of the cases never make much progress. 

Actions always speak louder than words. You will be judged on what you do, not by what you say. This way you can and will build a strong and deserved reputation for action that will propel you to the top. And the top is where you definitely want to be. 

Boldness is a strategic tactical approach to a given situation. It requires good situational awareness, strong nerves and craftiness. Boldness involves taking risks and when you decide upon a course of action, boldness demands that you execute it aggressively. 

We must always be bold to succeed and aggressive in each act, seizing every initiative... to move forward and to improve. In your boldness, you must always compete fairly, never denigrating your character, competitors, or colleagues.

Can you exhibit boldness? I know you can. The real question is "Will you exhibit boldness?"

Everything Counts!

Gary Ryan Blair
[email protected]

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