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What forces prevent courage? (3MN)
Happy Thursday!
In the next 3 minutes:
What forces prevent courage?
Stop making courage so abstract.
A personal source of fear: self-doubt.
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Minute 1 - Nothing is written about cowards.
What forces prevent courage? What makes something we all want so rare in the world? What keeps us from doing what we can and should do?
The enemy of courage is fear. Phobos. The majority of us (myself included) are driven more by our fears than our ability to be courageous.
While fear is not inherently bad, we are in a battle against it. Every single one of us. The best way to defeat an enemy is to get to know them intimately. Sun Tzu, a Chinese military general, strategist, and philosopher, once said, “Know thy enemy and know yourself; in a hundred battles, you will never be defeated.”
The hard truth is that nothing is written about cowards. Nothing is remembered. If we wish to do something remarkable (worth remarking about) in our lives, it will take bravery.
In your family. In your faith. In your fortune.
Minute 2 - Courage is not a virtue in the abstract.
In the same way every single one of us battles against fear, we also are given an opportunity to answer the call of courage. Courage is not a virtue in the abstract.
Winston Churchill would say,
"To each there comes in their lifetime a special moment when they are figuratively tapped on the shoulder and offered the chance to do a very special thing, unique to them and fitted to their talents. What a tragedy if that moment finds them unprepared or unqualified for that which could have been their finest hour."
Photo by Barthelemy de Mazenod / Unsplash
Minute 3 - One of my biggest sources of fear is self-doubt.
There is no amount of money, love, or success that will permanently erase your insecurity or self-doubt—instead, it will just give it bigger stakes.
Think: You don’t remove self-doubt. You learn to act despite it.
Answer: Where in your life do you doubt yourself? Do you let it hold you back? Why? What’s the worst thing that could happen?
Do: Do something despite doubting you can do it. You might surprise yourself.
Keep Reading: 5 Habits of Remarkably Courageous People
📬 Remember: Small changes lead to lasting breakthroughs.
Reply to this email and let me know which of these six redemptive directions you struggle with most.
VERSE OF THE WEEK
Be strong, and let your heart take courage, all you who wait for the Lord! - Psalm 31:24
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