I learned that courage was 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 that fear. Nelson Mandela
Fear is ever present especially in the life of a leader. Fear has a thousand tongues and no hands. You will hear voices and think thoughts that come to disrupt your confidence. Confidence comes from knowing that you are on the right path and doing the right thing. If you are doing the right thing and on the right path the only other element for success is time. Patience knows that fear is along for the ride but ignores all the chatter.
Courageous people seem to walk in a zone of no fear. One popular saying that was turned into a brand is called “NO Fear”. The only reason that people of courage appear to have conquered fear is that they have accepted the fact that fear accompanies all achievement. Courageous people live out loud and their courage talks more than any fear.
Winston Churchill is quoted as saying, “Courage is the first of the human qualities because it is the quality which guarantees all the others.”
You can be nothing without first demonstrating courage. It takes courage to learn how to walk and talk when you are an infant. And it takes courage to walk and talk about your vision when you are mature. And it definitely takes courage to tackle another major project when you are old. Dominate fear and you will dominate life.
Maya Angelou said, “Courage is the most important of all virtues, because without it we can’t practice any other virtue with consistency.”
How will you use courage to dominate fear?