Courage

You need courage to live well,

Courage comes from concentration,

And concentration is a skill.

If you feel a clear call to go to the gym, but a fear in your stomach holds you back, then fear is distracting you from aligned action.

Concentration cuts through distraction. If you can maintain steady attention on going to the gym, you will go to the gym.

Obviously other tools exist for breaking or creating habits. But when it comes to:

• the little moments of courage that topple the first domino of behavior change
• the big moments of courage that help us cross a threshold into a new chapter of life

I have never found any skill to make a bigger difference than concentration.

The best guide for developing concentration I know of is the Elephant Path, as taught by the late meditation teacher and psychologist Daniel Brown.

This book contains basic instructions for it;

This book contains much more detailed instructions for teaching it to specific age groups.

Developing this skill gives you almost mystical powers in others' eyes. You can take leaps into life that would terrify most people to the point of paralysis.

But, more importantly, it gives you the experience of integrity—

And, most importantly, it gives others the fruits of your courageous actions.

I cannot recommend developing this skill highly enough.