We often associate “being brave” with going into battle or surviving extreme adversity. But what if we were to redefine it in personal terms, as something that anyone can be?
The phrase “10 per cent braver” came from something my best friend once said to me. She had been on a training course, and the presenter had challenged the delegates by asking: “What would you do today if you were 10 per cent braver?”
The quantity of 10 per cent doesn’t sound difficult or scary. It’s only a tiny jump, not a huge leap over a chasm.
There are many factors that can get in the way of women achieving their aspirations. We can get trapped into certain career paths, often based on how likely we feel we are to succeed or on the role models that we see around us. A lack of confidence can translate into missed opportunities.
When figuring out how to be 10 per cent braver, ask yourself: if you could do anything, regardless of what it was, where it was, or how much it paid, what would you do?
If you’re struggling with confidence, consider the worst thing that could happen. When you do, you realise that your “worst thing” doesn’t actually sound too bad.
Rather than teachers being all-knowing authorities who can never do any wrong, why not show ourselves as people who are willing to make mistakes and to take risks? Sometimes the risks pay off, sometimes they don’t - that is the nature of the creative process and of being a teacher.
Women need to overcome “imposter syndrome” - the feeling that we are “faking it” - that we cannot deserve the success we achieve on our own terms. We often have a difficult relationship with our achievements. We may be able to acknowledge them to ourselves, but the idea of talking about them to others feels a step too far.
If you spend your life worrying that others will think you foolish, you will struggle to achieve your dreams. But if you ask yourself, “What would I do today if I were 10 per cent braver?”, then do it - you might be surprised by the result.
Sue Cowley is an author, teacher educator and presenter. Her chapter on being 10 per cent braver features in the new WomenEd book, which will be published on 9 March
