Dr. Derek Suite - The Suite Spot
Synthesizing Science and Soul for High Performance
Hosted by Dr. Derek H. Suite, The Suite Spot blends neuroscience, psychology, and ancient wisdom to unlock elite mental skills, resilience, and momentum. Designed for athletes, executives, and high achievers, each episode delivers practical strategies, evidence-based insights, and affirmations to elevate your mind, body, and spirit.
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Dr. Derek Suite - The Suite Spot
Contagious Courage 2/7: Take Action Tuesday: Face Every Fear Head On!
The most dangerous myth about courage is that some people are born with it while others aren't.
The truth? Courage is a muscle that grows stronger only through consistent exercise.
Each brave action, no matter how small, trains your nervous system to recognize that you can handle challenges.
Your body begins to believe in your bravery.
Ancient wisdom reinforces this science. Consider David before his famous battle with Goliath—he had already fought lions and bears as a shepherd. Those earlier victories weren't just faith; they were practical courage training. His nervous system had already experienced the fear-action-success cycle multiple times, preparing him for the giant challenge ahead.
The obstacles you face today aren't blocking your path to courage—they are the path. As Ryan Holiday writes in The Obstacle Is The Way," What stands in your way becomes the way forward.
Ready to build your courage muscle?
Start with small daily actions that feel uncomfortable. Speak up when you'd normally stay silent. Try something new when you'd prefer the familiar.
Have that difficult conversation you've been avoiding. Let courage become your habit, not your Hail Mary—because the world needs your brave voice and actions now more than ever.
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STAY AMAZING.
you're locked into the sweet spot. And today is take action tuesday, day two of our power pack series on contagious courage. I'm dr derek sweet, board certified psychiatrist here. I specialize in sports psychiatry and in high performance. And if no one told you today, you you, my friend, you were built to face fear and win.
Speaker 1:Yesterday we said courage isn't the absence of fear, it's action in the presence of fear. Today, on Take Action Tuesday, we're taking it even deeper. Here's the truth Courage is a muscle and, like any muscle, it only grows with repetition and resistance. You want more courage? Then take courageous actions, more of them. Do them daily, consistently, especially when it feels uncomfortable. I heard it put this way once Do something every day that scares you. That's how you grow your courage. And let me give you the neuroscience behind that. Yesterday we jumped into a bit of neuroscience and I just want to remind you this is just a reminder Every time you act with courage, every time you take an action like today being Take Action Tuesday and let's say you take one small action that moves you in the direction of being more courageous, your brain's executive center, the prefrontal cortex.
Speaker 1:It sends a calming message to override your brain's threat detection center, the amygdala. That's what's happening. When you take a courageous step, when you make a courageous move, when you take an action that is bold, designed to move in the face of fear, your brain is doing stuff. That PFC, that prefrontal cortex, the executive director, it's the one taking over and it's telling the amygdala calm down, I got this. That override in your brain is training your nervous system to say I'm safe. I've done this before. It might be a little shaky, but we're going anyway, all right. Your body literally starts to follow what your brain is telling you. Your body literally starts to believe in your bravery. And over time, as you take more courageous steps, as you take more actions, your courage becomes second nature. The biggest thing is to start, is to take that one step, and then you will have courage as a default setting in you, not just a rare spark. And if you want proof of this, all you have to do is go back into ancient wisdom. I love doing that.
Speaker 1:It's not always about the science, it's about what do the scriptures tell us. And when you think about the scriptures, think about David. Remember David and Goliath? Well, david didn't just run into Goliath and beat him on the first try. He had already had some battles. David had already fought off other kinds of threats. His amygdala and prefrontal cortex had done this dance already. He had fought off lions and bears in the fields as a shepherd. That wasn't just faith. He was training in courage. Before he met Goliath, he was already someone who had faced some battles.
Speaker 1:Have you faced some battles? Have you gone through some things and you got through to the other side? I know you have Even the smallest battle that you take on, or a series of battles that you're taking on. You know what that does. It creates big boldness.
Speaker 1:People who've been through things. They don't back down, as Ryan Holiday, one of my favorite authors, puts it. He says in his book called the Obstacle is the Way we read this. I ask every performer I work with to read this book. The obstacle is the way, it's not in the way. It is the way. It is the path. Whatever you've been given, whatever you're facing, this is the way it is the path. Whatever you've been given, whatever you're facing, this is the way you're going to get through it.
Speaker 1:In the book there's a quote that says the impediment to action advances the action. Whatever stands in your way today Fear or rejection, fear of failure, fear of being seen, fear of not making it, fear that you're not good enough, fear that something horrible is going to happen, fear that you're going to lose something Good. You know what that is, that is the obstacle, and now you're going to make that the way. You know what that is, that is the obstacle, and now you're going to make that the way. In fact, that's the gym. That's where you're going to work out your courage. That's where your courage gets worked out.
Speaker 1:Today, on Take Action Tuesday, you're going to change your mind about how you look at this and you're going to see this as the opportunity to exercise your faith, your courage, your resilience, as the opportunity to exercise your faith, your courage, your resilience. So you choose the thing that just is bothering you the most and take a deep breath and make a decision that I will and can get through this, and whatever it takes is whatever it takes. Let courage become your habit, not your Hail Mary. Let courage become your habit, not your Hail Mary. Start taking small steps, taking action. Have a mindset that you're just not going to back down. You're not just building courage, you're spreading it in your language, in the way you're going to carry yourself and how you're going to react. That's it for Take Action Tuesday.
Speaker 1:My friends, this is Dr Derek Sweet, and this is the Sweet Spot. Let's keep taking actions, even small ones. Let's go for it and not be afraid. Or if we feel fear, let's do it anyway. I'll see you tomorrow for Win it All, wednesday. If you'd like to connect with me, don't hesitate to contact me on YouTube, on LinkedIn or on X or on Threads. Take care.