Read Online Courage: Overcoming Fear and Igniting Self-Confidence by Debbie Ford - Free Book Online Page A

ultimately opportunities for us to reconnect ourselves with our mission here, and they come to us in different ways. For some of us the catalysts for remembering the truth of why we are here will come as personal issues related to family, intimate relationships, health, weight, finances, loss of a job or career, or addictions—whether our own or of someone close to us. Or the catalysts may come on a larger scale—as a tornado, earthquake, tsunami, flood, or war that leaves us homeless. Each of us will have challenges that appear as problems to be solved rather than as opportunities for us to evolve. For the most part, we have been programmed by our families and our culture to view our difficult and painful experiences as bad and unfortunate events—things we simply need to get over. We try to forget them rather than recognizing them as the holy grail for restoring our innate purpose for being alive on this planet.
    True confidence—divine confidence—comes from the deep knowing that we are spiritual beings, whole beings, human beings who are mysteriously and magnificently part of the One, and not separate at all. Until we understand that our value is indisputable, that every single one of us matters, that we each have a unique imprint, a distinct gift, an irreplaceable piece of the divine puzzle and a one-of-a-kind way of expressing ourselves, real confidence eludes us. Divine confidence seems painfully scarce when we don’t know our higher self. Until we understand and accept our intimate place of belonging in the family of soul and spirit, we won’t make the fundamental paradigm shift by which we are willing and able to take ownership and responsibility for ourselves at the deepest level.
    The profound understanding that we are both human and divine has the power to revolutionize our lives. From this perspective, it is easy to see that we are all connected, that we matter—that everything we say matters, everything we do matters, and every interaction we have matters. Instead of putting up with petty behaviors from ourselves, we can choose behaviors and perceptions that are of a much higher caliber. We can live in the awareness that we have been blessed with great love. We can live in the knowledge that every struggle in our lives is happening not only to aid us in the evolution of our own soul but to serve others as well.
    When we are rooted in divine confidence, the events and circumstances of our lives make perfect sense. I see how this affects my own life. If I am willing, I can use every experience to serve people. I can experience the peace and joy of knowing that I matter and all is well. I can, in this place of deep and abiding confidence, just be and allow my particular expression, contribution, and gifts to flow from a place of authenticity.
    I love it when people say to me, “I just want to do what you’re doing.” They have no idea. If they did have an idea, they’d probably run for the hills and put their head in a hole somewhere. I know that I have been blessed with and have taken on a particular life. There are a million blessings that come with my life, but there are also a million curses. Whether it’s been the path of addiction, breakup, or disease, I go through these periods and see them as opportunities for growth rather than seeing myself as a victim of what could look like a bad joke, because I know what I’m doing here.
    The truth at the center of divine confidence puts us right in the present—and the present is no place for a victim. When we’ve made the connection between our humanity and our divinity, the past and the future aren’t the objects of so much drama and neurosis. We don’t live in the “What if” mind-set of the victim. There is no “Why me?” or “Poor me” or “I can’t.” There is no “I’m worse” or “I’m better.”
    When we know that we are here as part of a divine plan, divine confidence directs our every move. When we live in the certainty that