30 Best Quotes from Courage Is Calling by Ryan Holiday

Courage calls each of us differently, at different times, in different forms. But in every case it is, as they say, coming from inside the house.

Whatever call you’re hearing right now, what matters is that you answer. What matters is that you go to it.

At the root of most fear is what other people will think of us.

A little awareness, a little empathy, it doesn’t make us soft. It gives us confidence.

If we wish to be great, we must first learn how to conquer fear, or at least rise above it in the moments that matter.

Waste not a second questioning another man’s courage. Put that scrutiny solely on your own.

If we don’t believe in anything, it becomes very hard to find anything worth believing in.

The coward waits for the stairs that will never come. They want to know the probabilities. They want time to prepare. They want assurances. They hope for a reprieve. They’re willing to give up anything to get these things, including this moment of opportunity that will never, ever come back.

You are here for such a brief time. On this planet. In this job. As a young, single person. Whatever. How do you want to spend it?

If you fear that there isn’t anything you can do, chances are you will do nothing.

The fear you feel is a sign. If courage is never required in your life, you’re living a boring life. Put yourself in a position that demands you leap.

Can’t lose if you don’t choose? Of course you can. You lose the moment. You lose the momentum. You lose your ability to look yourself in the mirror.

All certainty is uncertain. You’re not safe. You never will be. No one is. In putting safety above everything, we actually put ourselves in danger. Of being forgotten. Of never coming close. Of being complicit.

Don’t let the opinion of cowards influence what you think or do. The future depends on it.

Be original. Be yourself. To be anything else is to be a coward.

The belief that an individual can make a difference is the first step. The next is understanding that you can be that person.

You can’t beat a problem by debating it, only by deciding what you’re going to do about it and then doing it.

Courage is defined in the moment. In less than a moment. When we decide to step out or step up. To leap or to step back.

You make a difference when you are brave. Because you make others brave in the process.

Each of us has more power than we know.

We can’t just bemoan the darkness of this world we live in. We have to search for the light. We have to be the light.

You have to realize that you are not average. You never have been. You are one of one. You have always had what it took to defy the odds.

This desert, this wilderness was given to you to cross. It’s part of your journey. To struggle makes the destination glorious. And heroic.

We will our purpose into existence. We choose to be heroes. And if we don’t, it’s on us.

Our duty was never just to be the best ourselves, but to help others realize their best.

The leader risks themselves for us. They step to the front. They make their courage contagious.

We hope against hope against hope. That is the seed of all greatness. It is the key to a better tomorrow.

Courage calls us in our fear. It calls us to each act of bravery and perseverance our duties require. And it calls us beyond ourselves to a greater common good.

Can you be brave? Who and what will you be brave for? The world wants to know.

Defeat is a choice. The brave never choose it.