Courage Quotes About Life, Strength and Facing Fear

Looking for motivating courage quotes that will help you be brave in the face of challenges?

Many people think it is in the grand gestures and the major acts.

However, in regards to becoming more courageous, it can be found even in the small choices that we make each day, in doing something despite being afraid of it.

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According to a study by the American Psychological Association, fear of failure is a major barrier to success and achievement.

Courage quotes that encourage individuals to take risks, embrace challenges, and persist in the face of setbacks can help individuals overcome their fears and pursue their goals with greater confidence and resilience.

It’s facing a fear or jumping into something, even if we are unsure of the outcome.

What does it mean to have courage?

How can we be more courageous in our daily life?

If we take stock in ourselves and our thoughts and actions, we may find that we have more courage than we give ourselves credit for.

More importantly, we need to refine our definition of what courage truly is.

Here are some inspiring, wise, and powerful courage quotes, courage sayings, and courage proverbs on what it is, and how different it can look to each and every one of us.

If you need the courage to move forward in your life, be sure to check out our compilation of inspirational moving on quotes.

If you like this article, we suggest you explore our most popular quotes article, a list of short inspirational quotes for daily encouragement. 

Check out more inspirational quotes on our motivational quotes category page.

Courage quotes for pushing past fear

Research by the University of California, Los Angeles found that mindfulness meditation can increase resilience, reduce anxiety, and improve overall well-being.

Courage quotes that emphasize the importance of mindfulness, self-awareness, and emotional regulation can inspire individuals to cultivate inner strength and face their fears with greater clarity and composure.

1. “To dare is to lose one’s footing momentarily. To not dare is to lose oneself.”- Soren Kierkegaard

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2. “Without courage, wisdom bears no fruit.”- Baltasar Gracian

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3. “Life shrinks or expands in proportion to one’s courage.”- Anais Nin

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4. “Of all forms of caution, caution in love is perhaps the most fatal to true happiness.”- Bertrand Russell

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5. “The best way out is always through.”- Robert Frost

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6. “He who is brave is free.”― Seneca

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7. “Only be you strong, and very courageous, then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success.” – Joshua 1:7-8

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8. “The greatest test of courage on the earth is to bear defeat without losing heart.”- R. G. Ingersoll

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9. “Courage does not always roar. Sometimes courage is the quiet voice at the end of the day saying, ‘I will try again tomorrow.”― Mary Anne Radmacher

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10. “Don’t get discouraged; it is often the last key in the bunch that opens the lock.”- Unknown

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Courage Quotes about life

A study by the University of Rochester found that people who perceive themselves as having a high level of autonomy are more likely to feel empowered and experience positive emotions.

Courage quotes that encourage individuals to take control of their lives, make their own decisions, and stand up for their beliefs can inspire individuals to cultivate a sense of agency and self-determination.

11. “One isn’t necessarily born with courage, but one is born with potential. Without courage, we cannot practice any other virtue with consistency. We can’t be kind, true, merciful, generous, or honest.”- Maya Angelou

12. “Remember that failure is an event, not a person.”- Unknown

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13. “Whatever you do, you need courage. Whatever course you decide upon, there is always someone to tell you that you are wrong. There are always difficulties arising that tempt you to believe your critics are right.”- Ralph Waldo Emerson

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14. “Courage is rightly esteemed the first of human qualities . . . because it is the quality which guarantees all others.” – Winston Churchill

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15. “Courage doesn’t happen when you have all the answers. It happens when you are ready to face the questions you have been avoiding your whole life.”― Shannon L. Alder

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16. “The desire for safety stands against every great and noble enterprise.” – Tacitus, Roman historian

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Quotes about courage and success

17. “I love the man that can smile in trouble, that can gather strength from distress, and grow brave by reflections.” – Thomas Paine

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18. “There is nothing in the world so much admired as a man who knows how to bear unhappiness with courage.” – Seneca

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19. “Courage only counts when you can count.”― Suzanne Collins

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20. “Courage is doing what you’re afraid to do. There can be no courage unless you’re scared.” – Eddie Rickenbacker, World War I hero

21. “Fight hard when you are down; die hard—determine at least to do—and you won’t die at all.” – James H. West

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Inspiring Courage Quotes about fighting for your dreams

22. “Whatever your sex or position, life is a battle in which you are to show your pluck, and woe be to the coward. Whether passed on a bed of sickness or a tented field, it is ever the same fair play and admits no foolish distinction. Despair and postponement are cowardice and defeat. Men were born to succeed, not to fail.” – Henry David Thoreau

23. “What separates the winners from the losers is how a person reacts to each new twist of fate.” – Donald Trump

24. “Courage is not limited to the battlefield or the Indianapolis 500 or bravely catching a thief in your house. The real tests of courage are much quieter. They are the inner tests, like remaining faithful when nobody’s looking, like enduring pain when the room is empty, like standing alone when you’re misunderstood.” – Charles Swindoll

25. “Never let the fear of striking out get in your way.” – Babe Ruth

26. “No captain can do very wrong if he places his ship alongside that of the enemy.” – Admiral Horatio Nelson

27. “[Admiral Nelson’s counsel] guided me time and again. On the eve of the critical battle of Santa Cruz, in which the Japanese ships outnumbered ours more than two to one, I sent my task force commanders this dispatch: ATTACK REPEAT ATTACK. They did attack, heroically, and when the battle was done, the enemy turned away.

All problems, personal, national, or combat, become smaller if you don’t dodge them, but confront them. Touch a thistle timidly, and it pricks you; grasp it boldly, and its spines crumble. Carry the battle to the enemy! Lay your ship alongside his!” – Admiral William “Bull” Halsey
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28. “Trust the still, small voice that says, “this might work and I’ll try it.” – Diane Mariechild

29. “Come to the edge, He said.

They said: We are afraid.

Come to the edge, He said.

They came. He pushed them,

And they flew . . .” – Guillaume Apollinaire, French poet

Courage quotes about strength and love

30. “Never forget that no military leader has ever become great without audacity.” – Karl von Clausewitz

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31. “Courage is going from failure to failure without losing enthusiasm.” – Winston Churchill, British Prime Minister

32. “To look at something as though we had never seen it before requires great courage.” – Henri Matisse

33. “Courage is resistance to fear, mastery of fear – not the absence of fear. Except a creature be part coward it is not a compliment to say it is brave.” – Mark Twain, The Tragedy of Pudd’nhead Wilson

34. “Courage is being scared to death—but saddling up anyway.” – John Wayne

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35. “Begin it now. The moment one definitely commits oneself, then providence moves too. All sorts of things occur to help one that would never otherwise occurred. A whole stream of events issues from the decision, raising in one’s favor all manner of unforeseen incidents and meetings and material assistance which no man could have dreamed would have come his way.” – Unknown

36. “We need to wake up from a thought that lasts too long.” – Paul Valéry

37. “In the age-old contest between popularity and principle, only those willing to lose for their convictions are deserving of posterity’s approval.” – Gerald R. Ford

38. “To uncover your true potential you must first find your own limits and then you have to have the courage to blow past them.” – Picabo Street

39. “Courage is more exhilarating than fear and in the long run it is easier. We do not have to become heroes overnight. Just a step at a time, meeting each thing that comes up, seeing it is not as dreadful as it appeared, discovering we have the strength to stare it down.”- Eleanor Roosevelt, You Learn By Living (1960)

40. “I have endured a great deal of ridicule without much malice; and have received a great deal of kindness, not quite free from ridicule. I am used to it.” – Abraham Lincoln, November 2, 1863 in letter to James H. Hackett

41. “Nothing in life is to be feared, it is only to be understood. Now is the time to understand more, so that we may fear less.” – Marie Curie

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Courage quotes on following your dreams

42. “Remember to look up at the stars and not down at your feet. Try to make sense of what you see and wonder about what makes the universe exist. Be curious. And however difficult life may seem, there is always something you can do and succeed at.  It matters that you don’t just give up.” ― Stephen Hawking

43. “I know what I want, I have a goal, an opinion, I have a religion and love. Let me be myself and then I am satisfied. I know that I’m a woman, a woman with inward strength and plenty of courage.” ― Anne Frank

44. “We need a backbone, not a wishbone.” ― Joyce Meyer

45. “Stories make us more alive, more human, more courageous, more loving.” ― Madeleine L’Engle

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46. “When I step out on stage in front of thousands of people, I don’t feel that I’m being brave. It can take much more courage to express true feelings to one person. […] In spite of the risks, the courage to be honest and intimate opens the way to self-discovery. It offers what we all want, the promise of love. ”― Michael Jackson

47. “I told myself, Malala, you have already faced death. This is your second life. Don’t be afraid — if you are afraid, you can’t move forward.” ― Malala Yousafzai

48. “The only tyrant I accept in this world is the ‘still small voice’ within me. And even though I have to face the prospect of being a minority of one, I humbly believe I have the courage to be in such a hopeless minority.” ― Mahatma Gandhi

49. “What we know matters but who we are matters more.” ― Brené Brown

50. “Courage is the first of human qualities because it is the quality which guarantees the others.” ― Aristotle

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Courage quotes to help you find your inner bravery

51.  “I beg you take courage; the brave soul can mend even disaster.” – Catherine the Great

52. “Faced with what is right, to leave it undone shows a lack of courage.” – Confucius

53. “Courage is the most important of all the virtues because without courage, you can’t practice any other virtue consistently.” – Maya Angelou

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54. It takes courage to examine your life and to decide that there are things you would like to change, and it takes even more courage to do something about it. – Sue Hadfield

55. “Courage doesn’t always roar. Sometimes courage is the quiet voice at the end of the day saying, “I will try again tomorrow.” – Mary Anne Radmacher

Motivational courage quotes

56. “Courage is looking fear right in the eye and saying, “Get the hell out of my way, I’ve got things to do.” – Unknown

57. “It takes courage to grow up and become who you really are.”― E.E. Cummings

58. “You cannot swim for new horizons until you have courage to lose sight of the shore.”― William Faulkner

59. “Everyone has talent. What’s rare is the courage to follow it to the dark places where it leads.” ― Erica Jong
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60. “Courage is found in unlikely places.” ― J.R.R. Tolkien

Powerful courage quotes

61. “Never bend your head. Always hold it high. Look the world straight in the eye.” – Helen Keller

62. “With enough courage, you can do without a reputation.” ― Margaret Mitchell

63. “He who is not courageous enough to take risks will accomplish nothing in life.” – Muhammad Ali

64. “Courage is what it takes to stand up and speak; courage is also what it takes to sit down and listen.” – Winston Churchill

65. “Bravery is being the only one who knows you’re afraid.” ―Franklin P. Jones

66. “You can choose courage, or you can choose comfort, but you cannot choose both.” ―Brené Brown

67. “Courage isn’t having the strength to go on – it is going on when you don’t have strength.” ― Napoleon Bonaparte

68. “Courage is grace under pressure.” ― Ernest Hemingway
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69. “Have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. They somehow already know what you truly want to become.” ―Steve Jobs

70. “Fortune always favors the brave, and never helps a man who does not help himself.” ―P. T. Barnum

Uplifting courage quotes

71. “Be Brave and Take Risks: You need to have faith in yourself. Be brave and take risks. You don’t have to have it all figured out to move forward.” ― Roy T. Bennett

72. “Being deeply loved by someone gives you strength while loving someone deeply gives you courage.”― Lao Tzu

73. “The courage to imagine the otherwise is our greatest resource, adding color and suspense to all our life.” – Daniel J Boorstin

74. “It is courage, courage, courage, that raises the blood of life to crimson splendor. Live bravely and present a brave front to adversity.” – Horace

75. “Courage conquers all things: it even gives strength to the body.” – Ovid

76. “Without fear, there cannot be courage.” ― Christopher Paolini

77. “Real courage is knowing what faces you and knowing how to face it.” – Timothy Dalton

78. “Keep your fears to yourself, but share your courage with others.” ― Robert Louis Stevenson

79. “If you have a dream, don’t just sit there. Gather courage to believe that you can succeed and leave no stone unturned to make it a reality.” ― Dr. Roopleen
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80. “The courage it took to get out of bed each morning to face the same things over and over was enormous.” ― Charles Bukowski

Courage quotes to make you strong

81. “Do not be afraid. Do not be satisfied with mediocrity. Put out into the deep and let down your nets for a catch.”― Pope John Paul II

82. “There is no one more courageous than the person who speaks with the courage of his convictions.”― Susan Cain

83. “We ought to face our destiny with courage.”― Friedrich Nietzsche

84. “It takes a great deal of courage to stand alone even if you believe in something very strongly.”― Reginald Rose

85. “It’s the heart afraid of breaking that never learns to dance.”― Xiaolu Guo

86. “Courage is the hallmark of spirituality. Courage comes when you love yourself for who you are.”― Amit Ray

87. “He who jumps into the void owes no explanation to those who stand and watch.”― Jean-Luc Godard

88. “Courage is very important. Like a muscle, it is strengthened by use.”― Ruth Gordon

89. “One does not discover new lands without consenting to lose sight of the shore for a very long time.”― André Gide

90. “Courage will now be your best defence against the storm that is at hand-—that and such hope as I bring.”― J.R.R. Tolkien

91. “Courage originally meant “To speak one’s mind by telling all one’s heart.”― Brené Brown

92. “Sooner or later even the fastest runners have to stand and fight.”― Stephen King
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93. “It does not take courage to kill. It takes courage to live.”― Renee Ahdieh

94. “Do not be afraid. Because if you let these fears consume you, you’ll most likely fail even before everything else starts.”― Veronica Mist

95. “Courage is not the absence of fear or despair; it is the capacity to continue on despite them, no matter how great or overwhelming they become.”― Robert Fanney

Courage quotes to help you fight for your dreams

96. “Courage starts with showing up and letting ourselves be seen.” – Brené Brown

97. “Courage is a learned quality, an acquirable set of skills, a practiced competence.” – Gus Lee

98. “Do you have the courage to act outwardly on what you see inwardly?” – T.D. Jakes

99. “Through untold courage and sacrifice, America’s veterans have secured the liberty which the founding fathers sought to establish here in the new world.” – Gen. Colin L. Powell

100. “What would life be if we had no courage to attempt anything?” – Vincent van Gogh

101. “Genius is talent set on fire by courage.” – Henry Van Dyke

102. “Have the courage to be who you are, not what people expect you to be.” – David Goggins
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103. “We must have the courage to let go of the past if we are going to grasp the future.” – David DeNotaris

104. “The opposite of courage is not cowardice, it is conformity. Even a dead fish can go with the flow.” – Jim Hightower

105. “Courage is not the absence of fear but the ability to carry on with dignity in spite of it.” – Scott Turow

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Courage quotes to motivate you

106. “It takes a great deal of bravery to stand up to our enemies, but just as much to stand up to our friends.” – J.K. Rowling

107. “Success is not final, failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts.” – Winston S. Churchill

108. “The most courageous act is still to think for yourself. Aloud.” – Coco Chanel

109. “True courage is in facing danger when you are afraid…”― L. Frank Baum

110. “Be brave to stand for what you believe in even if you stand alone.” – Roy T. Bennett

111. “Live the Life of Your Dreams: Be brave enough to live the life of your dreams according to your vision and purpose instead of the expectations and opinions of others.” – Roy T. Bennett

112. “Don’t be afraid of your fears. They’re not there to scare you. They’re there to let you know that something is worth it.” – C. JoyBell C.

113. “There is a stubbornness about me that never can bear to be frightened at the will of others. My courage always rises at every attempt to intimidate me.” – Jane Austen

114. “Believe in yourself. You are braver than you think, more talented than you know, and capable of more than you imagine.” – Roy T. Bennett

115. “Confront the dark parts of yourself, and work to banish them with illumination and forgiveness. Your willingness to wrestle with your demons will cause your angels to sing.” – August Wilson

116. “One man with courage makes a majority.”— Andrew Jackson

117. “It’s a courageous thing to do something that doesn’t have rules or limits.” – Vanessa Paradis

118. “Courage is fear holding on a minute longer.”— General George S. Patton

119. “It takes a lot of courage to show your dreams to someone else.” – Erma Bombeck

120. “I have a lot of things to prove to myself. One is that I can live my life fearlessly.” – Oprah Winfrey

More courage quotes and sayings

121. “Be the kind of person who dares to face life’s challenges and overcome them rather than dodging them.”― Roy T. Bennett

122. “I don’t focus on what I’m up against. I focus on my goals and I try to ignore the rest.”— Venus Williams

123. “Be brave. Take risks. Nothing can substitute experience.”— Paulo Coelho

124. “Scared is what you’re feeling. Brave is what you’re doing.”— Emma Donoghue

125. “A ship is safe in harbor, but that’s not what ships are for.”— William G.T. Shedd

126. “A man with outward courage dares to die; a man with inner courage dares to live.”— Lao Tzu

127. “Courage isn’t absence of fear, it is the awareness that something else is important.”― Stephen R. Covey

128. “Do not fear mistakes. You will know failure. Continue to reach out.”— Benjamin Franklin

129. “Everyone has talent. What is rare is the courage to follow the talent to the dark place where it leads.”— Erica Jong

130. “The man who goes farthest is generally the one who is willing to do and dare. The sure-thing boat never gets far from shore.”— Dale Carnegie

Wise courage quotes

131. “I learned that courage was not the absence of fear, but the triumph over it. The brave man is not he who does not feel afraid, but he who conquers that fear.” –Nelson Mandela

132. “The secret to happiness is freedom… And the secret to freedom is courage.” –Thucydides

133. “Jump, and you will find out how to unfold your wings as you fall.” –Ray Bradbury

134. “Man cannot discover new oceans unless he has the courage to lose sight of the shore.” -Andre Gide

135. “You gain strength, courage, and confidence by every experience in which you really stop to look fear in the face. You are able to say to yourself, ‘I lived through this horror. I can take the next thing that comes along.’” –Eleanor Roosevelt

136. “Courage is the ladder on which all the other virtues mount.” –Clare Boothe Luce

137. “You will never do anything in this world without courage. It is the greatest quality of the mind next to honor.” –Aristotle

138. “Courage is contagious. When a brave man takes a stand, the spines of others are often stiffened.” –Billy Graham

139. “Courage is knowing what not to fear.” –Plato

140. “Creativity requires the courage to let go of certainties.” –Erich Fromm

Thought-provoking courage quotes

141. “All happiness depends on courage and work.” ― Honoré de Balzac

142. “If you could get up the courage to begin, you have the courage to succeed.” – David Viscott

143. “Courage is being afraid but going on anyhow.” – Dan Rather

144. “Courage is the capacity to confront what can be imagined.” – Leo Rosten

145. “Courage is never to let your actions be influenced by your fears.” – Arthur Koestler

146. “From caring comes courage.” – Lao Tzu

147. “A man of courage is also full of faith.” – Marcus Tullius Cicero

148. “Part of courage is simple consistency.” – Peggy Nooman

149. “Have the courage to act instead of react.” – Oliver Wendell Holmes, Sr.

150. “Courage is simply the willingness to be afraid and act anyway.” – Robert Anthony

Courage Quotes To Help You Overcome All Obstacles

151. “Use your fear… it can take you to the place where you store your courage.” — Amelia Earhart

152. “It takes courage to be the author of your life.” — Nicholas Lore

153. “Courage is the thing. All goes if courage goes.” — Joseph Addison

154. “I believe that the only courage anybody ever needs is the courage to follow your own dreams.” — Oprah Winfrey

155. “Courage enlarges, cowardice diminishes resources.” — Christian Nestell Bovee

156. “It takes courage to dream big and then to allow nothing to prevent you from realizing that dream.” — Tony DiCicco

157. “Those who have courage to love should have courage to suffer.” — Anthony Trollope

158. “Either life entails courage, or it ceases to be life.” — E. M. Forster

159. “Courage is what preserves our liberty, safety, life, and our homes and parents, our country and children. Courage comprises all things.” — Plautus

160. “Courage is to feel the daily daggers of relentless steel and keep on living.” — Douglas Malloch

Courage Quotes To Help You Overcome Fear

161. “It takes courage to take action to achieve your goals especially when others doubt.” ― Catherine Pulsifer

162. “It often requires more courage to dare to do right than to fear to do wrong.” ― Abraham Lincoln

163. “If you lack patience, even when you face some small obstacle, you lose courage.” ― Dalai Lama

164. “Real courage is being afraid but doing it anyway.” ― Oprah Winfrey

165. “One moment of courage can change your day. One day can change your life. And one life can change the world.” ― Mel Robbins

166. “Courage is universal. It is needed by each of us in every conceivable circumstance.” ― Gus Lee

167. “Courage is the power to let go of the familiar.” ― Raymond Lindquist

168. “It takes courage to step out of one’s comfort zone, because it is a challenge to do so.” ― D. M. Neddermeyer

169. “To build your confidence and courage, take small risks where you have a good chance of succeeding.” ― Irene Roth

170. “As you begin to embrace courage, you will be able to point your life in the direction YOU want it to go as opposed to being directed by others or by your fears.” ― S. Fullwood

Courage Quotes to Make You Fearless

171. “Have enough courage to trust love one more time and always one more time.” ― Maya Angelou

172. “Nothing gives us courage more readily than the desire to avoid looking like a damn fool.” ― Dean Koontz

173. “Time is neutral and does not change things. With courage and initiative, leaders change things.” ― Jesse Jackson

174. “To have courage for whatever comes in life – everything lies in that.” ― Teresa of Avila

175. “Few persons have courage enough to appear as good as they really are.” ― Augustus Hare

176. “There can be no failure to a man who has not lost his courage, his character, his self respect, or his self-confidence. He is still a King.” ― Orison Swett Marden

177. “Some temptations are so great it takes great courage to yield to them.” ― Oscar Wilde

178. “The only courage that matters is the kind that gets you from one moment to the next.” ― Mignon McLaughlin

179. “The bravest thing you can do when you are not brave is to profess courage and act accordingly.” ― Corra May Harris

180. “True strength is the courage to admit our weaknesses.” ― Simon Sinek

Did you enjoy these courage quotes?

It’s not easy to forget your fear.

But by understanding that courage was never the absence of it, you will find that it’s possible to be really brave every day.

We hope that these courage quotes have redefined what it means to be brave in the face of challenges or adversity today.

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