The Courage to Conquer

“Quite honestly, I can’t imagine how anyone can say, “I’m weak!” and then remain so. After all, if you know it, why not fight against it?” ~ Anne Frank (15 years old)

by Pete Ferguson

Understanding that we are weak - and be willing to admit it - takes courage in the moment.

Understanding that we are weak - and be willing to admit it - and then to take action to overcome is the courage of a warrior's heart.

It may be scary, or a little bit difficult, or a little bit painful to change yourself, but you will undoubtedly be stronger, more confident, and more ready to take on the world if you can find it in you to step out of that place… ~ 52 steps 2 change

As I conclude a week of posts on leaning into pain, finding joy in conflict, and pushing beyond imaginary barriers - I feel as though I have personally conquered underlying disbeliefs which have held me back for some time.

My most painful seasons have certainly paved the path to deeper joy. ~ Caroline Gavin

The realization which caused me to wake up early and get out of bed to write this post is:

In taking action, we push through barriers, we encounter some pain, we take risks, we learn, we grow, we fail, we succeed, but we move!

I'm guilty of wanting to fully understand (and wanting guarantees of success) before trying something - while at other times recklessly launching into the unknown.

I'm guilty of wanting a perfect vision of what is to be accomplished before starting something - but then also starting, stopping, starting, stopping, and abandoning all together a worthwhile project.

The courage to conquer is having a vision of what the end result will be and then taking action.

Courage is being scared to death... and saddling up anyway. ~ John Wayne

A vision is not a perfect set of blueprints.

A vision is not a promissory note that there will not be any pain in taking action.

A vision is not a contract that there will not be failure along the way.

A vision is the hope that at the end of the journey our physical, emotional, spiritual, and mental state will be improved and that all of the toil and trials of the journey will be WORTH IT!

Life provides very few promises: Death and taxes (and more taxes). Eat or be hungry. Sleep or be crazy. Drink or be thirsty.

Life provides many uncertainties: Work and you might be successful. Create and what you've created might not be destroyed. Love and you might be loved back.

We gain strength, and courage, and confidence by each experience in which we really stop to look fear in the face... we must do that which we think we cannot. ~ Eleanor Roosevelt

But the courage to take action provides movement. And in movement, we learn, we grow, we learn again. And we can change, alter, improve, and try again with movement.

Taking action is messy. And we may - and most likely will - get hurt along the way.

“Success is not final, failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts.” ~ Winston Churchill

In taking action we learn, we grow, we define, and we perfect one little thing at time. Until the many little things accumulate into larger things.

And then comes the certainty at the end of the journey - which could not come before taking the first step - the certainty that we could do it, that we did do it, and that the view is much better from the top of the mountain, looking back at the path which brought us there.

Your time is limited, so don't waste it living someone else's life. Don't be trapped by dogma - which is living with the results of other people's thinking. Don't let the noise of others' opinions drown out your own inner voice. And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. ~ Steve Jobs

Related articles

• Overcoming Fear (learnactshare.com)
• Lean into the Pain (learnactshare.com)