The Strength of Courage

The critical key to moving into the strength of courage is the acceptance of personal responsibility and accountability. This major move requires relinquishment of a victim/perpetrator dualistic fallacy that socially undermines integrity via blame and excuses based on dualistic, moral, and social relativistic fallacies and theories by which an external ‘cause’ or social condition replaces integrous personal autonomy and self-honesty. Thus, courage also includes rising above identification with the rationalizations that characterize social belief systems… that calibrate based on presumptions of blame and excuses. Even if there is or has been an external ‘cause’, it still behooves the individual to rise above it. Society is rife with well-publicized examples of such invocation of courage, even in the face of severe calamities… Courage does not mean absence of fear but the willingness to surmount it, which, when accomplished, reveals hidden strength and the capacity for fortitude. Fear of failure is diminished by realizing that one is responsible for the intention and effort but not the result, which is dependent on many other conditions and factors that are nonpersonal. 

Strong intention plus dedication assisted by inspiration surprisingly can bring success despite prior failures. This reveals the inner capacity for bravery and fortitude that greatly increases self-esteem and confidence. Many of life’s travails can only be traversed by ‘white-knuckling it’, which builds self-confidence.

From Transcending the Levels of Consciousness p.188-190