I’ve just finished reading a book called The One Thing. My thoughts? In a word: fantastic. It’s basic premise is that you must narrow down you focus, your priorities to just ONE important thing. The authors suggest in planning your day, week, month, year, ask yourself, “What’s the one thing, such that by doing would make my life easier and make all else unnecessary?” What a fantastic question. I would venture to say that most never ask it. I know that I haven’t. I wish I had earlier in my life. Regardless, it got me thinking, “If you could only have one trait, what the most important one to have.” This is another way of asking, what the most important “thing” in life. After careful consideration, I know the answer. Courage.

Courage is the most important thing in life to have. Without it, nothing would happen. Without courage we humans would live in constant fear of everything–fear of death, fear of embarrassment, fear of losing loved ones, fear of financial ruin, fear that we are not enough. It’s in our nature to be fearful. We are not the biggest or strongest creatures to have roamed the Earth. We are constantly faced with things that could kill us, ruin us, embarrass us or make us quite uncomfortable. Fear is what drives us if we act on instinct alone–unless you have Courage.

Courage is not the lack of fear, it is acting in spite of fear. The two attributes are not mutually exclusive. They balance each other like good and evil, light and dark, yin and yang. Fear is what holds us back. Courage is what drives us forward. Courage is what drives all of humanity forward. Life without courage is no life at all. Another word for courage is faith. A life without faith is no life at all.

From The One Thing: “One evening an elder Cherokee told his grandson about a battle that goes on in all people. He said, “My son, the battle is between two wolves inside us. One is Fear. It carries anxiety, concern, uncertainty, hesitancy, indecision and irritation. The other is faith (courage). It brings calm, conviction, confidence, enthusiasm, decisiveness, excitement and action.” The grandson thought about it for a moment then meekly asked his grandfather, “Which wolf wins?” The old Cherokee replied, “The one you feed.”

FEED YOUR COURAGE. STARVE YOUR FEARS.
-Sean