After my RunningMan experience, I walked away with lessons that went far beyond physical endurance. It reminded me that confidence isn’t about knowing you can do something before you begin. It’s about taking the first step, surrounding yourself with people who expand what you believe is possible, and discovering what you’re capable of along the way.
In this episode, I’m sharing five lessons about doing hard things, building courage, and the power of community:
1. Do it before you feel ready.
Waiting until you feel completely confident can keep you waiting forever. Courage comes before confidence. Take the step, even when you’re not sure you’re ready.
2. Be around people who dream big and take action.
Your environment changes you. Spend time around people who think bigger, take risks, and follow through, and suddenly more starts to feel possible for your life, too.
3. Community builds connection and capacity.
Hard things have a way of bringing people together. The right community doesn’t just encourage you. It can help you go farther than you would have gone alone.
4. Sometimes strength looks like receiving.
We often associate strength with pushing through and doing it ourselves. But real strength can also mean accepting help, encouragement, support, and letting someone else carry you for a moment.
5. Challenge the “I can’t” belief.
“I can’t” isn't always a fact. Sometimes it simply means, “I’ve never done this before,” “I’m uncomfortable,” or “I don’t know if I can.” Before you accept it as a limit, challenge it.
You don’t have to make everything in life hard to prove you’re strong. But when something matters, be willing to be brave, lean on your people, and find out what might be waiting on the other side of “I can’t.”
Some resources for you:
Get 3 Strategies to Speak Up in Meetings here.
Project more confidence and credibility with my free tips: 9 Words to Avoid & What to Say Instead: Words to Avoid | Karen Laos
My book “Trust Your Own Voice”: https://karenlaos.com/book/
Connect with me:
Website: https://www.karenlaos.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/karenlaosofficial
Episodes also available on YouTube:
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCEwQoTGdJX5eME0ccBKiKng/videos
About me:
Many years ago I found myself tongue-tied in a boardroom, my colleagues and executives staring at me. My stomach in my throat, I was unable to get the words out (in spite of being in a senior leadership role).
Then, I heard my boss shut down the meeting. My heart sank. I was mortified. She pulled me aside and said, "You didn't trust your gut. You could've tabled the meeting like I did."
Why didn’t that option occur to me in the moment? Why did I feel like I needed permission?
That was the day I set out to change. I began a journey of personal growth to discover the root of the problem. Once I did, I wanted every woman to experience that same freedom.
I’m now on a mission to silence self-doubt in 10 million women in 10 years by giving them simple strategies to speak up and ask for what they want in the boardroom and beyond, resulting in more clients, job promotions, and negotiation wins.
Companies like NASA, Netflix, Google, and Sephora have been propelled toward more effective communication skills through my signature framework, The Confidence Cocktail™.
This is your invitation to step into your most confident self so you can catapult your career!