Wiser by Day
Doing It Afraid · Lesson 1 of 6 · Free
Name the small thing
Name one small brave thing, meet the fear in advance, and take it step by step.
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Read the recording transcriptThe lesson
Welcome. Courage isn't only for emergencies. Most of it is small: sending the message, saying the thing, starting. Over six days, we'll practise doing small things while a little afraid. Today, we name one.
To see what is right and not to do it is want of courage.Confucius · Analects, 2.24
James Legge, 1861
Confucius makes courage sound ordinary: seeing what's right and doing it. Notice that it begins with seeing. Before we can act, we have to let ourselves clearly see the thing we've been avoiding. It's usually small: a conversation, a form, a phone call. We name it, and make it small enough to do.
Try it for yourself
A short reflection
Ask yourself: what is one small thing I know I should do, and keep avoiding? Let the first answer come. Now make it smaller. Not the whole thing, just the first step, something that takes five minutes or less. Hold that step in mind and notice how your body reacts. You don't have to do it yet. Take two and a half minutes.
One question to write about
What's the one small thing, in a few words?
You can reflect without writing. Nothing you think or write on this page is collected.
Recording transcript
This text follows the recorded narration. Source credits for the quoted passage appear above.
Welcome. Courage isn't only for emergencies. Most of it is small: sending the message, saying the thing, starting. Over six days, we'll practise doing small things while a little afraid. Today, we name one. From the Analects, the sayings of the Chinese teacher Confucius, in James Legge's translation of 1861. To see what is right and not to do it is want of courage. Confucius, Analects, 2.24. Confucius makes courage sound ordinary: seeing what's right and doing it. Notice that it begins with seeing. Before we can act, we have to let ourselves clearly see the thing we've been avoiding. It's usually small: a conversation, a form, a phone call. We name it, and make it small enough to do. Ask yourself: what is one small thing I know I should do, and keep avoiding? Let the first answer come. Now make it smaller. Not the whole thing, just the first step, something that takes five minutes or less. Hold that step in mind and notice how your body reacts. You don't have to do it yet. Take two and a half minutes. What's the one small thing, in a few words? That's enough for today. Tomorrow, we look at what fear says about the future.