“For we are naturally disposed to admire more than anything else the man who shows fortitude in adversity.”
Thousands of years ago, Seneca wrote about courage.
We all have fears. But do we all have courage?
How do we overcome our fears? By living courageously.
Business can wait. The dinners, the meetings, the happy hours, the presentations. They are not as important as you might think.
Seneca reminds us that first we must live well. We must have the courage to focus on the things that matter. We must make sure we get the most out of our days, not that an organization gets the most days out of us:
“It is better to understand the balance sheet of one’s own life than of the corn trade.”
– Seneca, On the Shortness of Life
We all have challenges in our professional lives. But do we all have courage?
How can you have courage at work if you do not actively practice courage in the rest of your life?
All of us today have courageous ancestors. Our relatives were people that endured incredible challenges and hardships.
The least we can do is to learn to appreciate our challenges in the modern world and overcome them with our mind.
The mind is a powerful weapon. During World War II, leaders in the US Army made sure to talk to soldiers about courage and fear.
“Fear, before you’re actually in the battle, is a normal emotional reaction. It’s the last step of preparation, the not knowing. . . This is where you’ll prove you’re a good soldier. That first fight – the fight with yourself – will have gone. Then you will be ready to fight the enemy.”
– Army Life Handbook, 1944
It can be hard to remember, but life today is good. Our circumstances, no matter how challenging, can be overcome.
How do I know? We have thousands of years of human history overcoming challenges.
Life and work would be easier if we learned to embrace our circumstances and find the courage to overcome them. What if we were less reactive? What if we were more patient? What if we were more understanding? What if we were more courageous?
You do not need to enlist in the military and go to war to display courage.
Seneca lets us know that courage is simply a state of mind:
“So you have to get used to your circumstances, complain about them as little as possible, and grasp whatever advantage they have to offer: no condition is so bitter that a stable mind cannot find some consolation in it.”
Courage and fear are contagious. Look around the next time you see people on the complain train at work – talking about all their problems that exist.
Think about the people in your life who quietly display courage. You do not need to be in a position of authority to display courage. You just need to control how you think, how you react.
“No matter how lowly his rank, any man who controls himself contributes to the control of others…Fear is contagious but courage is not less so.”
– S. L. A. Marshall, World War I veteran, military historian
My hope is that more of us will be known for our courage. My hope is that more of us will be calm in the face of adversity. My hope is that more of us honor all those who have come before us.
Courage is nothing more than a state of mind.
Find your courage today. Live immediately as Seneca says.
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