About this quote

Courage often appears when the options narrow and staying still becomes costlier than acting. You don't wait for courage to arrive as a feeling; you make a choice and move, even if your hands shake. Look for the smallest clear action in front of you and do it — that one move proves to yourself you can face the next test. Keep a simple tally of those actions; over time they turn into reliable courage you can call on.

When to use it

• At my weekly team meeting, I told everyone I couldn't support the deadline and suggested a safer plan instead of staying quiet.
• Before my oral exam, I asked the professor a tough question out loud rather than hoping someone else would — it changed the tone of the whole session.
• At the clinic, I finally booked the uncomfortable procedure I had been avoiding and showed up on the scheduled day.
• During the last quarter of the match, I pushed past the pain and passed two opponents instead of easing off.