Overcoming Fear and Finding Courage With Cher and Suze Orman
If you think Cher and Suze Orman (the financial guru, author, speaker, talk show host, etc) don’t have anything to gab about over frothy cappuccinos, think again. Cher and Suze Orman may come from different worlds, but they talk about the same things.
When Cher was on the Oprah Winfrey show, she called herself a scaredy cat. I just about plutzed (and I’m not even Jewish, though I do have Israeli ancestors). Cher’s 61 years old, performing in Vegas for the next couple of years, has worn all manner of garb to the Oscars, does whatever the hell she wants - and she calls herself a scaredy cat?! Cher struggles with overcoming fear and finding courage?
Later that day, I was reading Suze Orman’s book called Women & Money. She has a really interesting perspective and inspirational quotation about women and courage. This is advice that Cher has already taken, whether she knows it or not.
Suze Orman’s Advice About Overcoming Fear and Finding Courage
“It can be difficult for women to connect to their courage. Women can be deflected from a course of action if they think that it might hurt someone else. It’s so much easier to hurt yourself than to hurt someone else, isn’t it?” asks Suze in Women & Money. “Women also lose their courage when they subscribe to a belief that someone or something is the key to their happiness - rather than recognizing that power lies within.”
And here’s where Suze Orman speaks to Cher’s comment about fear:
“Fear is usually what stands between us and our courage. We’re afraid to rock the boat. We’re afraid of confrontation. We’re afraid to upset someone. We’re afraid we’ll lose our job. We’re afraid he’ll divorce us. We’re afraid our kids won’t love us. We’re afraid of what others may think of us. We’re afraid we will be flat broke. The list goes on and on.”
Overcoming Fear & Finding Courage With Cher & Suze Orman
Believe it or not, Cher has these same fears. That’s why she called herself a scaredy cat. But the thing with Cher is, she does it anyway. Of course, I don’t know what or who she would have become if she wasn’t such a scaredy cat - but maybe the world wasn’t ready for a fearless Cher. Can you imagine what a woman she’d be if she wasn’t afraid?
Another inspirational quotation from Suze Orman: “If we are to embrace this quality of courage to its fullest, we can no longer allow ourselves to hide behind fear.”
And you? Are you a scaredy cat? You’re not alone. Being courageous is different for every woman. For me, it means saying “yes” when I’m worried I can’t do it well - like going on talk radio. For you, it could mean standing up to your boss, or showing your art or writing to the world. Overcoming fear and finding courage could mean being single and not letting it stop you from traveling, eating out, or going to movies. It did for me.
Overcoming fear and finding courage for woman - like Cher and Suze Orman, who are strong women in history - means you know what you’re afraid of, and not being afraid to admit it. You may be white-knuckled, dripping with sweat, hyperventilating, quaking in your shoes, or screaming inside - but you do it anyway. (Like Susan Jeffer’s book Feel the Fear and Do It Anyway!)
Just like “scaredy cat” Cher did.
