If you've ever watched the movie, "The Wizard of Oz," you probably remember the Cowardly Lion. The Cowardly Lion is a fictional character that accompanies Dorothy on her journey through the woods and across the Yellow Brick Road. He is one of several characters that Dorothy meets along the way.
如果你曾看过《绿野仙踪》这部电影，或许你对胆小的狮子还有印象。在影片中，胆小的狮子一路上陪伴多萝茜穿过丛林，走过黄砖路。他也是多萝茜旅途中遇见的几个角色之一。
Each of Dorothy's friends, while rich in spirit, lack a certain asset. The Tin Man, for instance, lacks a heart. He is certainly smart and put together, but lacks the ability to feel and express love. The Scarecrow lacks a brain. The Cowardly Lion has both a heart and a brain, but lacks the courage needed to live his life.
多萝茜的每位朋友虽然精神上富足，但物质上都缺少某种特定的东西。比如铁皮人缺少一颗心。他相当聪明结实，但却没有感受和表达爱的能力。稻草人缺少一颗头。胆小的狮子心脏和头颅都有，但却缺少生活的勇气。
What is courage and why is it so important? You might recall that the Scarecrow was nice and thoughtful, but was afraid of everything! He let his fears get in the way of standing up for what he believed in and wanted most – an ounce of courage. Courage is defined as one's ability to be brave or fearless. Courage enables a person to stand up and fight for what they truly believe in. It is a personal asset that allows an individual to stand strong among adversity and deal with setbacks and failure with ease.
什么是勇气，它又为何如此重要？还记得影片中稻草人善良体贴却害怕一切。恐惧阻止了他坚持自己的信仰，而他最想要的不过是一点点的勇气。勇气是一个人勇敢无畏的能力。勇气能够让人们为了自己坚信的东西而去争取奋斗。它是一种能够让人在逆境中顽强拼搏在挫折中轻松以对的私有财富。
Just like the Cowardly Lion, a person is not always born with courage. It is not an asset that is innately guaranteed at birth. It is, however, an asset that everyone has the potential to develop over the course of a lifetime. So, how do you become more courageous? Here are ten easy ways to build up your courage in no time.
如同胆小的狮子一样，人并不是生来就有勇气。勇气不是与生俱来的资本，相反，每个人都可以通过后天的潜能逐渐得到它。所以怎样变得更加勇敢？这里有十个让你立刻勇气大增的简单方法。

10. Be Open and Honest About Your Fears
10. 和你的恐惧开诚布公

One of the first steps in becoming more courageous is acknowledging the fact that you lack courage in the first place! You cannot begin to build courage unless you recognize and acknowledge the fact that it is, indeed, lacking.
变得更加勇敢的第一步就是要首先承认你缺少勇气这个事实。除非你意识到并且承认这个事实，否则无法开始增加勇气。
In order to become more courageous, you must be open and honest about your fears. This means being open and honest with yourself, as well as with others that are close to you. When it comes to being honest with yourself, it is important to face the facts. What are you most afraid of? Why are you afraid of this particular object, person, or event? What are some things that you can do to overcome this fear? It is important that you work through your fears on your own. Come to terms with them and accept them for what they are. Once you accept your fears, you can develop a strategy to overcome them.
为了变得更加勇敢，你必须和自己的恐惧开诚布公。这意味着你要对自己坦诚，也要对亲近的人坦诚。和自己坦诚时，直面事实很重要。你最害怕什么？你为什么害怕这个特别的东西、人或者事情？你能做些什么来克服这种恐惧？要懂得靠自己应对恐惧。面对它们并且接受它们的存在。一旦你接受了自己的恐惧，你就能找到克服它们的方法。
It is also important that you have a conversation with others about your fears. Let them know what you are dealing with and how you are feeling. Be honest with them about your fears and let them know that you have come to terms with them, but need some additional support in building up the courage needed to tackle them head on. Sometimes, just a small conversation can lead to big results when it comes to building your skills and becoming a stronger, more courageous individual.
和其他人聊聊你的恐惧也是很重要的。让他们知道你的处境以及你的感受。对他们坦诚并且让他们知道你面对过恐惧，但在增强正面解决恐惧需要的勇气时需要一些额外的帮助。有时候，仅仅一小段交流就能提升你的能力使你成为一个更加坚强勇敢的人。

9. Be Vulnerable
9. 学会脆弱

There are many occasions where modern society deems vulnerability a bad thing. Being vulnerable isn't a bad thing at all. On the contrary, vulnerability allows you to grow. When you open yourself up to all of the things in this world that you think can hurt you, you give yourself the ability to learn, grow, and thrive.
在很多场合中现代社会认为脆弱是一件坏事。但其实脆弱根本不是一件坏事，相反，它能让我们成长。当你把自己暴露在世界上所有可能会伤害你的事物中时，其实你给予了自己学习、成长和强大的力量。
Vulnerability is defined as the state of being exposed to emotional, social, psychological, or physical harm. Harm, in this case, can be defined in a lot of different ways. While you certainly don't want to expose yourself to any serious threats, vulnerability is an important characteristic in becoming a more well-rounded and courageous individual.
脆弱是一种暴露在情感、社会、心理或者身体伤害中的状态。在这种情况下，伤害就分为很多种方式。当你不想把自己暴露在任何不利的情况中时，脆弱是你成为更全面勇敢的人过程中重要的一个特质。
Too often, people put up a guard or a wall to prevent themselves from ever feeling vulnerable. They believe that vulnerability is a sign of weakness and strive to protect themselves from being hurt. Vulnerability is actually necessary for character building. Opening up and allowing yourself to be vulnerable is one of the best ways to learn and to grow. By facing your fears, getting hurt, getting let down, and standing back up in the face of failure, you will grow to become a much more courageous individual.
人们经常会竖起心防来阻止自己受到伤害。他们认为脆弱是软弱的一种标志，并且努力地保护自己不受伤害。学会脆弱在品质养成中是十分必要的，让自己脆弱一些是学习和成长最好的方法之一。在失败面前，经历了恐惧、伤害、失望、崛起之后，你将成长为一个更加勇敢的人。

8. Face Your Fears
8. 直面恐惧

Have you ever admired or looked up to someone that you considered to be very successful? Perhaps they have a wonderful home life or a lucrative career. Perhaps, to you, they have everything.
你曾钦佩或仰慕过你认为成功的人么？他们或许家庭美满，或许事业有成，又或许对你来说，他们拥有美好的一切。
Chances are that the person you admire most has something that he or she fears. Chances are, also, that they have learned how to face their fear and use fear to their advantage to achieve an admirable level of personal and professional success.
但有可能你最钦佩的那个人也有害怕的事情，有可能他也曾学过如何面对恐惧，并用恐惧激励自己的优势达到令人钦佩的个人和专业上的成功。
Everyone has fears, but not everyone knows how to confront them. When it comes to becoming a more courageous individual, facing your deepest fear is critical.
每个人都有恐惧，但并不是每个人都知道如何面对恐惧。想要成为更加勇敢的人，直面内心最深处的恐惧是至关重要的。
Opening up, admitting that you are afraid, and learning how to deal with your emotion is key to developing a high level of courage.
承认自己害怕，学会处理情感，是获得更多勇气的关键。
You are probably thinking that this is all easier said than done, correct? Facing your fears doesn't have to be difficult. One of the best ways to face your fears is to go slow. Think about what you are afraid of and make yourself come to terms with the emotion that is linked to this particular event, behavior, or activity. Sometimes it is helpful to write about it or talk to someone about how you are feeling. It is also helpful to think positive thoughts. Often times, fear is simply an illusion. It is something that we concoct in our heads to talk ourselves out of something. Thinking positive thoughts can help curb these irrational feelings.
你或许在想说比做容易对吗？直面恐惧并不难，最好的一个方法就是慢下来。想着你害怕的东西，让自己面对和这个特别的事情、行为或者活动相关的情绪。有时候和其他人谈论你的恐惧或者写下来都是很有帮助的。积极思考也同样，很多时候恐惧只是一种幻想，是我们因为某件事的影响自己在大脑里捏造的假象，这时积极思考就能帮助抑制这些消极情绪。
Whatever strategy you choose to use, facing your fears is a critical component of becoming a stronger, more courageous adult.
无论你选择用什么方式，直面恐惧是变得更加强大勇敢的关键因素。

7. Step Out of Your Comfort Zone
7. 走出你的舒适区

Another way to become more courageous is to step outside your comfort zone. Your comfort zone is the space in which you feel the most comfortable. It is the neutral state that you tend to lean towards. Your comfort zone may include particular trends or routines that make you feel comfortable on a regular basis.
另一个变得更加勇敢的方法是走出你的舒适区。舒适区是你认为最安逸的地方，是你前行路上的中间站，这里可能有让你感到轻松惬意的日常活动。
Let's say, for instance, that there is a particular way you like to start your day. Every day, you wake up and eat breakfast. Then, perhaps, you go to the gym and walk on the treadmill for an hour. Afterwards, you return home to shower, drink a quick cup of coffee, and skip out the door on your way to work. This is a routine. Most people get swept up in the routine of their daily lives. It becomes familiar and comfortable. The minute most people step outside of this routine, their day suddenly becomes much different. Perhaps slightly more awkward and uncomfortable. For most people, however, this mix up in the schedule can be a great way to learn new things, build character, and seek new opportunity.
比如说，有这样一种生活方式，每天早上起床吃早餐，然后去健身房跑步一个小时，回到家洗澡喝一杯咖啡，然后准备去上班，大多数人在日常生活中也会勤于打扫。这些日常活动都是人们既熟悉又感到安逸的。大多数人一旦离开了自己的舒适区，生活对他们来说就变得十分困难。可是走向未知的领域也是一个学习新事物、培养新品质、寻找新机会的绝佳方式。
In order to become more courageous, you must seek opportunities to step outside of your comfort zone. It may be scary at first, but it will open you up to so much opportunity. When people step outside of their comfort zones, as research shows, they become more productive, more fulfilled, and have an easier time adjusting to the ebb and flow of life. Stepping outside of your comfort zone is not always easy. It is best to start with baby steps. Switch things up and try something new. Seek out new challenges and opportunities. By doing this, you will undoubtedly become a stronger, smarter, and more courageous individual.
所以要想变得更加勇敢，你必须寻找契机走出自己的舒适区。起初会很畏缩，可慢慢你会发现很多机遇。据调查显示，走出舒适区的人们会变得更有成效、更满足、更能适应生活的潮起潮落。但是走出舒适区并不简单，最理想的情况是从小就培养这种意识。但通过尝试新的事物、寻找新的挑战等方法，毫无疑问，你也会变得更加强大、机智和勇敢。

6. Be Objective
6. 保持客观的立场

While it is certainly important to step outside your comfort zone, it is also important to be objective. When it comes to certain, fearful situations, sometimes taking a step back and reanalyzing the situation can help you overcome irrational thoughts and emotions.
与走出舒适区一样，保持客观的立场也很重要。在某些糟糕的情况下，退一步重新审视整个情形能帮助你抑制不理智的想法和情绪。
Take public speaking, for instance. Imagine that you have a terrible fear of speaking in front of large groups of people. Every time you step in front of an audience to share your thoughts, you freeze. You begin to panic. Anxiety sets in. Your body responds by growing more rigid. Your body temperature spikes, which makes you sweat. As you open your mouth, you may stumble over your words and feel foolish. You may think that everyone is looking at you and silently judging you. Perhaps, judging harshly or unfavorably, as you stumble over your own words.
就演讲来说，假设你非常害怕在公众面前说话，每次站在台上演讲时都会紧张到说不出话，内心恐慌焦虑，身体僵硬，体温激增甚至汗湿。当你准备演讲却开始结巴时，你可能会感到羞耻，会觉得所有人都在注视着你并且默默地评判你。
The picture that you paint in your head is, often times, much worse than the reality of the situation at hand. Even if you did get a little nervous standing in front of a large group of people, what are they going to do? What is the worst thing that can happen? In the worst case scenario, perhaps they 'boo' you off the stage. Even if they did, what would happen? At most, you would feel slightly embarrassed. Eventually, you would learn to move on from that experience.
你脑海中想象的画面经常比实际情况更糟糕。即使你站在人群面前的确有点紧张，那么他们会做什么呢？能发生的最糟糕的事情是什么呢？可能就是他们轰你下台。即便如此，又有什么呢？最多你感到有点尴尬。最终，你会慢慢成长起来的。
Being courageous is all about taking chances and facing your fears, head on. When it comes to public speaking, for instance, it is important to stop the stream of negative thoughts in your head by taking a step back and reanalyzing the situation. Is it really as bad as it seems? Little by little, you will start to overcome your fears by employing more practical and logical thoughts.
变得勇敢无非是冒险前行，直面恐惧。在演讲中，通过退一步重新审视整个情形来抑制脑海中萌发出的消极想法。演讲并不如想象中可怕，经过更多实际并且理智的思考，你会逐渐克服自己的恐惧。