Day 32 (thirty-two) of 365 days
“Courage is not the absence of fear, but the triumph over it. The brave man is not he who does not feel afraid, but he who conquers fear”.
— Nelson Mandela
Courage is the most important of the virtues, because without courage you can’t practice any other virtue consistently. You can practice any thing erratically, but nothing consistently without courage. Courageous people do feel fear, but they are able to manage and overcome their fear so that it does not stop them from taking action. They often use the fear to ensure that they are not overly confident and that they take the appropriate actions.
Courage is a necessity to overcome fears and achieve a desired goal. Fear is something that exists in all of us. There is no hero or any particular courageous figure that is without fear. Being fearless is not required to be courageous, one simply has to look past or overcome their fears to possess this great quality.
When overcoming fears and going against the norms, there are always risk involved. There are different types of risks that come about. Someone could risk life or limb, while others risk their reputation. Either risk is serious enough that person must have courage to endure that particular risk.
We all face difficulties in our lives like loosing someone you love, getting something stolen or having the school bully on your bad side. But what sets courageous people apart from coward is fortitude. Having the fill to go out there and face the difficulties and diffuse them with passion and strength. Having such qualities is a hard thing to find. Not a lot of people can tell you straight up that they have those qualities because so many people are scared of their difficulties.
Courage is a feeling that can only come from within. It cannot be learned and it cannot be received from another person. I welcome you the month of virtue.
