Summoning courage is often easier said than done. We can prepare for a test, a job interview, a date, or an audition to the best of our abilities, but when the time comes to actually prove ourselves, we may still feel or show signs of fear.
This is natural, and in fact, it’s a sign that we’re moving in the right direction. As Amy Poehler once said, “Being nervous is great! How often do we get nervous on a daily basis? Being slightly nervous means you care, and you’re alive, and you’re taking some kind of risk. Hooray for being nervous!”
Even if nerves are a good thing, though, it’s not easy to muster the bravery required to override them and get to whatever lies on the other side. This is the test we must pass over and over again to unlock the most valuable parts of life.
For those times when you need a little push, here are 15 quotes to help you steel yourself to make those terrifying — but ultimately rewarding — leaps.
Life shrinks or expands in proportion to one’s courage.Anaïs Nin
I believe that the most important single thing, beyond discipline and creativity, is daring to dare.Maya Angelou
A ship in harbor is safe, but that is not what ships are built for.John Augustus Shedd
Courage is contagious. When a brave man takes a stand, the spines of others are often stiffened.Billy Graham
You can, you should, and if you’re brave enough to start, you will.Stephen King
Sometimes all you need is 20 seconds of insane courage. Just literally 20 seconds of just embarrassing bravery. And I promise you, something great will come of it.Benjamin Mee (Matt Damon) in “We Bought a Zoo”
Until you’re ready to look foolish, you’ll never have the possibility of being great.Cher
Inaction breeds doubt and fear. Action breeds confidence and courage. If you want to conquer fear, do not sit home and think about it. Go out and get busy.Dale Carnegie
Faced with what is right, to leave it undone shows a lack of courage.Confucius
Our lack of confidence is not the result of difficulty. The difficulty comes from our lack of confidence.Seneca
Either you decide to stay in the shallow end of the pool, or you go out in the ocean.Christopher Reeve
One isn’t necessarily born with courage, but one is born with potential. Without courage, we cannot practice any other virtue with consistency. We can’t be kind, true, merciful, generous, or honest.Maya Angelou
She was never quite ready. But she was brave. And the universe listens to brave.Rebecca Ray
I am learning every day to allow the space between where I am and where I want to be to inspire me and not terrify me.Tracee Ellis Ross
You gain strength, courage, and confidence by every experience in which you really stop to look fear in the face. You are able to say to yourself, “I lived through this horror. I can take the next thing that comes along” … You must do the thing you think you cannot do.Eleanor Roosevelt
Featured image credit: Michael Ochs Archives via Getty Images
