“Learning and growing always require action, and action takes courage…”

A thought by John C. Maxwell from his book, Beyond Talent (p. 154). HarperCollins Leadership. Kindle Edition. (Click on the book title to go to Amazon.com to buy the book.)

Here is the whole statement.  John says, “Learning and growing always require action, and action takes courage—especially in the weak areas of our lives.”

He goes on, “That is where fear most often comes into play. It’s easy to be brave in an area of strength; it’s much more difficult in an area of weakness. That is why we need courage most. General Omar Bradley remarked, ‘Bravery is the capacity to perform properly even when scared half to death.’”

John says, “When I am striving to learn and grow in an area of weakness and I am afraid of failing or looking foolish, I encourage myself with these quotations:

• ‘Courage is fear holding on a minute longer.’—George S. Patton

• ‘The difference between a hero and a coward is one step sideways.’—Gene Hackman

• ‘Courage is fear that has said its prayers.’—Karl Barth

• ‘Courage is doing what you’re afraid to do. There can be no courage unless you’re scared.’—Eddie Rickenbacker

 • ‘Courage is being scared to death but saddling up anyway.’—John Wayne

“We often mistakenly believe that learning is passive, that we learn by reading a book or listening to a lecture. But to learn, we must take action. As Coach Don Shula and management expert Ken Blanchard state, ‘Learning is defined as a change in behavior. You haven’t learned a thing until you can take action and use it.’ And that is where fear often comes into play. The learning process can be summarized in the following five steps:

1. Observe.

2. Act.

3. Evaluate.

4. Readjust.

5. Go back to step 2.

John then says, “Every time you prepare to take action, fear will to some degree come into play. It is at those times that you must rely on courage.

“David Ben-Gurion, the first prime minister of Israel, observed, ‘Courage is a special kind of knowledge; the knowledge of how to fear what ought to be feared, and how not to fear what ought not to be feared. From this knowledge comes an inner strength that subconsciously inspires us to push on in the face of great difficulty. What can seem impossible is often possible, with courage.’ Courage is a releasing force for learning and growth.”

So much of what we do every day takes courage, doesn’t it?

Yes, yes!