How to find the courage to be authentic so that you can write content that turns leads into clients

Kirsten Back Author

Struggling to find your voice or with being authentic? Not being able to find courage can be a serious obstacle...

Are you hoping that this year is going to be different or are you taking action to make this year different?

Hope is definitely not enough! There’s only a pretty slim chance that the universe provides and makes all your dreams come true. Dreams are built through courageous action (and authentic content).

There, I’ve said it!

But if I’m honest – far too often, I have hoped that things were different, were taking a different course, would turn out better for me.

In my journey to abundance, I’ve heard and tried many things…

I’ve been told that If I just sort out my mindset and visualise my success, then success will happen. I’ve been told that I can manifest my success and a better future. That I can use affirmations to open myself to abundance.

So, why are there still things on my vision board that haven’t come true? Why do my affirmations sound hollow (despite following the instructions)?

Here’s why I think that these techniques are not the (whole) solution:

Change is triggered by action

Visualisation, affirmations, manifesting and other similar approaches do not work without taking action.

It is the same as learning something without implementation. Knowledge alone doesn’t shift anything.

Knowledge is in my head, just like my visions and affirmations are in my head. Even if I say them aloud.

Implementation and action are what make the difference!

Believe me, I have had lots of goals, ambitious intentions, ideas, and dreams – but without action, they just remain that – an image in your head, or a feeling of regret that whatever your dream was, didn’t happen.

The only person to make things happen is you – and the only way to make things happen is by taking action.

And that needs courage. Courage, by definition, is a scary thing:

“The ability to control fear and to be willing to deal with something that is dangerous, difficult, or unpleasant.”

Courage implies that fear is present – often you are not even aware of your fear but you notice that you self-sabotage and don’t do what’s necessary to deal with the thing that is dangerous, difficult, or unpleasant.

You create an online course, but never market it, you create a coaching programme but never shout it from the rooftops, you price your offer too low because you don’t dare to acknowledge its real value, you don’t close the sale because you feel uncomfortable to ask for money.

You don’t dare to be authentic because you might be judged, trolled, or rejected.

Your brain is programmed to keep you safe – and thus, it spites your actions before they happen.

Courage starts in your mind. And you can only find it in yourself – just like the mother rat in the video couldn’t wait for someone else to save her baby. She had to act against all her instincts and despite the fear of dealing with an opponent that could kill her within seconds.

If a rat can save her baby from a cobra…

What is it that you can and want to achieve if you act despite the fear?

But more importantly…

What is it that makes you willing to think and behave in ways that are out of your comfort zone?

I believe that there are two drivers for courage:

Necessity and urgency.

Let’s talk about necessity first. 

can either be intrinsic or extrinsic – it’s either based on an internal desire or it is motivated by an external force.

I have always felt a strong desire to write and share my knowledge. I feel the urge to write every day and not writing leaves me with something very close to real physical hunger. I feel like I’m not fulfilling my purpose, that I’m starving if I’m not putting my thoughts to paper.

Necessity can also come from a desire to care for others and keep them safe. Like a mother needs to keep her babies safe, or a father to provide for his family.

It’s an urge that comes from within. It’s a primal need that exists and doesn’t need a trigger.

And then, necessity can also come from outside. It can be motivated by a person you care about or maybe a cause you care about.

Like a coach to serve her clients because she knows her clients need her to empower them to lead better lives. Or the strong desire to provide medical health or education to those who would otherwise have no access to it.

Necessity is a strong motivator that adds meaning to your desires and actions.

Now, think about your motivations and why you do what you do. Why is it necessary? And what would happen if you don’t do what lies beyond your comfort zone? What is the cost of not stepping up and courageously taking action?

And that leads to the other motivator – urgency.

We feel urgency when something is at stake when we are about to lose something by a certain deadline.

Urgency is – as you probably know – one of the strongest motivators to buy. Once the deadline is up, you lose the ability to purchase something (at a reduced price).

When you don’t feel the urgency to take action immediately, you procrastinate. Just like the cobra would have eaten that baby rat had the mother not acted instantly.

Indulge me for a moment and think about the goals and the projects that you have planned this year. To assess their urgency and necessity, ask yourself the following questions?

What has the thing you haven’t done yet cost you (and the ones you care about) in the past?

What is it costing you now?

What will it cost you in the future?

Visualise those questions and decide whether that goal or project deserves your attention and immediate action.

Do the outcomes justify the risks of taking immediate action? Do the outcomes motivate you to be courageous and step outside your comfort zone?

Because, after all, when you show courage, you demonstrate that you care about something.

And that is the cue for me to connect your courage to authenticity.

Being authentic takes more courage than you initially anticipated

If you are like most business owners who provide a service or sell a product, you have put a lot of energy, time, love, and effort into your offer.

You know that there’s a specific group of people who would benefit from your offer and whose lives you’d make a difference.

Being seen, heard, and loved enough by these people to work with you or buy from you requires you to align with the values, beliefs, and goals of your ideal clients.

It requires you to be authentic and share a message that comes from your deepest beliefs and values to connect and align with theirs.

And that means that you need to speak openly and authentically from your heart…

• Despite the fear that you might be judged…
• Despite feeling uncomfortable stepping into the limelight…
• Despite believing that you have nothing interesting to share…
• Despite the fear that you might receive negative comments…
• Despite the worry that your offer is not “enough”…
• Despite the fear that you might not be able to follow through…
• Despite the doubt that you have about your own abilities…

Here’s what I believe: I believe that you are smart and amazingly competent and that even if you have imagined a thousand scenarios of how that project that you have on your mind might end in a catastrophe…

You can trust in your ability to figure things out. It might be ugly, it might be stressful, it might indeed go wrong – but even if things go wrong, there’s a wealth of experience and knowledge that you have gained in the process.

So, there are no real downsides to showing some courage. And I believe that you’ve got this!

Even more so, if you ask for help when necessary.

And, if you want to get my help to find the courage to be authentic and share the messages that attract your ideal audience – then send me a message and we can talk about how I can help you!

Categories: Content Creation, Contentwriting, Copywriting, courage, self development