“It is not the critic who counts, not the man who points out how the strong man stumbled, or where the doer of deeds could have done better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood, who strives valiantly, who errs and comes short again and again, who knows the great enthusiasms, the great devotions, and spends himself in a worthy cause, who at best knows achievement and who at the worst if he fails at least fails while daring greatly so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who know neither victory nor defeat.” – Theodore Roosevelt

Possibly the most badass quote of all time. Courage is being absolutely terrified of something and facing it head on. Its not about being fearless. Its about being so scared you are close to peeing your pants, and going through with it anyways. Its about living the life that you envision. Without courage, nothing is possible. With courage, everything is. Courage is not reserved for firefighters and soliders and police officers. Courage is a requirement for all humans wanting to truly live their life.

Courage can be learned. It is not something you either have or do not have. I suggest reading the excellent book, Feel the Fear . . . and Do It Anyway (r), an extraordinary book on the subject of courage. Pushing past your comfort zone is a great way to build courage. If you are afraid of heights, go skydiving. If you are afraid to speak in public, sign up for toastmasters. If you hate people, talk to them. If you are terrified of snakes, get one as a pet. When you build up courage in one area of your life, it automagically helps build up courage in other areas of your life.

Many people fear what others think of them. The fear of not being accepted is probably one of the most powerful fears that exist. That prevents them from doing the things they truly wish to do. For example, going to the gym for an overweight person can be a very very scary thing. But they cannot change their situation if they are worried about how others will perceive them in the gym. They must push past that mental limitation and build up the courage to try. As courage builds up, you’ll find that the fear was all in your head. Its a fantastic feeling, courage, and the greatest thing about is it will always be gratifying, because you did something you didn’t think you could do and it terrified you. Do something everyday that scares you. I like it.