Boldness is respected, even if the action isn’t commendable. Have you ever felt like speaking up or standing up for someone, but hesitated? It’s never a good feeling. Even if you do speak up most of the time, your unconscious mind is always awake, waiting to see how you react to things. If you choose not to be bold, you will feel it. It will hurt.
The best way to counter this is to… counter it. Be bold. That doesn’t mean do something stupid. Being bold could be you engaging in a conversation with a total stranger at the grocery store while checking out. Telling someone that you don’t have to give them a reason for why you don’t want to hang out. Looking yourself in the mirror and telling yourself to go to the damn gym even though you don’t feel like it.
Your subconscious mind never sleeps. If you do this over time, the things you used to be afraid of doing will come with less resistance. You’ll wish you did it sooner.
Start now. Be bold. Enjoy the rewards.