Of course you have. (I’m assuming that very few people, if any, put themselves in villain’s or bad guy’s shoes.)

In fact, after watching a show with characters that exemplify courage, you most likely feel renewed strength. You feel more courageous...like nothing can get in your way...like you could conquer any mountain that gets in your path.

You probably even catch yourself sometimes moving (and thinking) way courageous character does. For example, after watching a movie like Gladiator, you would walk out of movie theatre with a feeling of intense courage you did not feel when you first walked in (assuming, of course, that you didn't watch it at home). You feel like you’ve somehow merged with heroic character—as if his courageous spirit was transferred to you.

Why do you suppose this is?

I would say, it’s because we can somehow relate to courageous character. Deep down inside us, we know we also have that kind of courage...and that we’ve felt that kind of courage many times in our lives (as children, most especially—and as adults, for some of us)—and in different situations (of course, not necessarily in battlefield).

At a subconscious level, we know we already possess absolute courage (due to fact that “we are spirits living inside physical bodies”—something I briefly wrote about in my article, 12 Ways To Unleash The Courage Within), yet sometimes, we feel that we haven’t quite unleashed it (at least, not consistently) to degree that we see in others. And that’s mainly reason why we look up to these heroes, courageous characters, or role models of courage. (Would you agree that trait you usually admire in others is trait you want to see/have more in yourself? I’m sure you would.)

(This is most likely reason why more and more film producers are coming out with movies such as Gladiator, Troy, The Last Samurai, Braveheart, and like. They know that people become more in touch with courageous part of themselves—thus are moved deeply—when they watch these types of movies.)

On other hand, have you also noticed that it usually makes you somewhat annoyed, or even angry, when you watch a cowardly character who does not take a stand for what he/she believes is right? (Or someone who abandons his/her post at first sign of danger? Or when going gets tough?) The truth is, we don’t like to see that quality in others because that is very quality we don’t want to see (or have) in ourselves.

Simply put, cowardice is not an admirable trait. It never has been, and it never will be.

One thing, though...let us not confuse feeling afraid/fear with cowardice...for a person can be afraid and still muster courage to take action on what he/she thinks is right.

Here are some good quotes regarding cowardice:

Fear has its use but cowardice has none

~ Mahatma Gandhi ~

To know what is right and not to do it is worst cowardice.

~ Confucius ~

When his duty is to face danger and he flees, it is cowardice.

~ Mahatma Gandhi ~

It is any day better to stand erect with a broken and bandaged head then to crawl on one's belly, in order to be able to save one's head.

Have you ever felt anger or a sense of loss for having spent years taking care of others instead of honoring your core self–your true essence–by becoming all that you can be? Do you regret spending money unwisely in past? Feel sad about relationships that held promise of gold but never panned out?

Everyone has unfinished business, and we know from mind-body studies and quantum physics that old anger, grief, resentment and fear that is energetically entangled in body-mind projects into our lives and defines our present and future.

The good news is that each of us will have many opportunities to repair past, since errors in judgment or deed must be resolved or repeated until song is well sung, job correctly done.

It’s easy to resolve known patterns. If you feel robbed of time in days gone by, for example, you can give yourself gift of time now. A few hours a week spent doing what makes you happy will improve quality of your life and put an end to stressful inner complaints like, "There’s never enough time for me to do what I want to do!"

Inner messages are a cry for attention, so once you’ve heard message it will stop and so will stress produced by it. The Mad Hatter in you (from Alice in Wonderland), who always says, "I can’t stop. I don’t have time. I’m in a hurry" will sit down, relax and make friends with grinning Cheshire cat.

The words "I can’t" will drop out of your vocabulary and you will accomplish whatever you yearn to do. Go ahead: walk your yellow brick road to happiness! (That’s another story.)

If you feel guilt or shame over unwisely spent money or resources, just watch flow of energy through your life, use it wisely and consciously change your attitude about yourself.

The same goes for relationships: cherish people you love, be kind and know that you are now doing–and have always done–the best that you can. The idea is to listen to repetitive thoughts flowing through your mind and address each discordant message or feeling with antidotal actions. This mindfulness will transform destructive thought patterns into positive appreciation of yourself and your life.

Healing with light and sound

If you are experiencing grief or sorrow and know its source, you can release past by doing one or more of following:

1) Allow love to resolve pain. Find a quiet place where you won’t be interrupted and bring memory to mind. Breathe in and circulate love and light through your heart, mind, body and soul. See and feel this love and light, allowing it to cleanse and release pain and its entrenchment. Take your time. Breathe light until you feel a sense of completion.

2) At any time of night or day, whether at work or in meditation, simply ask in depths of your being for healing, state what wants to be healed, and trust that it will be done.

3) In some quiet situation, staying aware that this is a sacred act, envision your soul taking your heart in hand and saying to it: "I relieve and release your hurt, that you may be set free."

In these ceremonies we ask soul-self to apply energies of love to wound and return it to its rightful place as part of harmonic whole. If there is no inner resistance to healing, your pain and its pattern will resolve.

Break on through to other side

If you feel resistance and sense that problem is not healed, then you might want to conduct an inner dialogue. Just pick up pen and paper, retire to a quiet space and ask yourself, "What within me needs healing?" Wait patiently for your heart, mind or soul to speak to you in words, a symbolic image, a feeling or a sense of knowing.

If you get no answer or one that is not immediately helpful, ask your ego if it is resisting this process. If so, it will explain why. Ask what is positive purpose of its resistance, and if it evades question or gives you an answer that is not a positive purpose (like "Because I don’t think you know what you’re doing"), explain that you are asking for its cooperation right now. You want to know why it is blocking you, when you want to help all parts of your self work together for your highest good.

Eventually, when your ego sees sense in this, it will release its resistance and tell you why it is holding on to old thought patterns and/or negative feelings. You can simply assure it that this protection is no longer needed, now that you understand its positive purpose, and you can put in place a new behavior pattern so that your ego can let down its guard.

The ego really does have a positive purpose, and that is to defend and protect you. It’s perfectly happy to take a vacation if some other part does job while it’s away and it is especially deferential to heart. If your heart has something to say in this process, listen respectfully and address whatever concerns come up. The lower heart works with your mind, and higher heart works with your soul.

Manifesting life you want

Once you have healed and/or transformed an old pattern, it’s time to replace it with new thinking and behaviors. Decide what these will be before using seven manifestation principles below.

If you considered yourself a poor financier, you could use these seven principles to further heal that self-concept by manifesting money. If you have used light to heal anger or grief over a past relationship, you can use these principles to attract partner you want. But first, do some inner work to decide whether you are ready for a partner or friend. Then define exactly what you want so that you attract your dream and not your worst nightmare. Be careful, because this works!

Use same techniques of self-inquiry to determine your needs and desires. Simply pick up pen and paper, and ask your inner teacher, your soul-self, to give you insight into what is good and right for you. This way you will start out on right track and geometrically multiply your chances of getting what you ask for.

By using this "soul-searching" technique, you will be doing exactly what you've come here to do: know yourself as soul so that your soul can guide you into all that you can be.

With these seven principles of manifestation you are wielding your power of intention to bring a higher, more positive frequency of vibration into your being. You will animate more than self-healing, prosperity and your psychic gifts by tapping into infinitely powerful light of Love. In surrender to Light, you will become captain of your ship, master of your soul.

Once you have healed what you’re aware of (steps 1-3) and you and your soul define your next best steps, it’s time to walk in Light of your new life.