“It’s not the life that matters, it’s the courage that you bring to it.” *
Yogi Bhajan spoke about having the courage of your convictions and living a life of courage in many of his classes. Here are some of his words on courage:
“You don’t have to freak out. You don’t have to do anything. Just feel the light in you. Feel the deathless in you. And feel it deeply. If somebody has awakened you, somebody has called you a name, somebody has challenged you, that is your supreme privilege. Face the challenge. It is the enemy which gives you strength. Friends don’t. Friends are with you; you are with your friends. If you do not understand that life is there to challenge you on every breath of life, you do not understand living. If you do not challenge your life yourself, somebody else will challenge it.” 3/12/89
“What is truth? It is the outburst of courage. And what is this courage? Courage is power in compassion to sacrifice.” 11/30/77
“It doesn’t matter how great the truth you speak is, if you do not show a sense of courage, nobody will believe you. People do not trust you; they trust your courage. If you stand out as a symbol of courage, many people who want to be courageous will follow you. That’s why I say courage is a sign of infinite leadership. If you want to be a successful leader, have courage. What is behind courage? Spirit, truth, and steadfastness. These three things are the qualities of a courageous man.” 4/9/82
“In the long run, it is your spirit which makes you win, which gives you courage, which gives you endurance, which gives you intuition, which gives you self-esteem and self-knowledge.” 9/9/95
“That’s why I say it isn’t the life that matters, it is the courage you bring to it. There’s no substitute for courage. Without courage, you can’t even get up in the morning. And God has given you 16% capacity more than a male to be courageous. Your good time is in your shine, in your glow, in your grace. Good time is when you make adversity and calamity into the glory and you change. By a mental thought you can change calamity into a reality and prosperity.” 7/12/89
“Just remember, all the three start with ‘G’. God, grace, and goodness of the heart (which is known as courage for man). Goodness of the heart is not that you give fifty dollars to somebody who deserves five dollars. Goodness of the heart is that in the face of death you remain good and courageous. Goodness of the heart is not what you understand. Goodness of the head is not when you cleverly win the point. Goodness of the head is when you make some life happy, though it doesn’t deserve it. Goodness only means when you make the impossible possible, and do not claim the benefit.” 7/12/89
“Acknowledge your status as a woman, then develop the integrity of a woman, and then have the courage to live it. Nobody can harm you and God will serve you, ladies.” 7/12/89
“With a needle you can make a house and with a word you can break a heart. There’s no shame to be a woman. God made it that way. Be that way. Respect it. Revel in it. Understand it and bring yourself all that woman needs to be brought to. Ask, ‘Where is my trust, my integrity, and my courage.’” 7/27/89
“Just imagine those who love life and have a date with life. They have a date with the nobility of life, the integrity of life, the strength and courage of life. They don’t know defeat. You can shred them, torture them, nail them, or burn them at the stake. They don’t care. In them dwells God. It is their strength which brings the sun in the morning and the peace at night. You can be marching hand and hand and be part of that race, part of that grace. Let your day tell the world you are not a victim, you are a woman victorious!” 7/27/89
“Consciousness means you know where you are at and where you want to go, and for that you have the courage and you have the grit. You have the power to do it. If you know the truth and you do not have the courage to face it, your life will be worse than the earth snail. Then it’s nothing. You can’t live that life. It’s very painful.” 6/24/88
“Trust… only YOU can trust. Normally we say, “If I trust you, you cannot betray me.” That’s normal concept. But that’s a bargain. That is what we expect. That is where we are cowardly or weak. It’s not a very courageous act. The human act, the courageous act is that you MUST trust. Because if we are not going to learn to trust the other human beings, we are also not going to trust the One who made the human beings. It’s a matter of projection… in our psyche… do we trust our soul? Do we believe and trust that we have a soul, and do we trust and believe that our soul is a part of the infinite soul, which is God?” 12/31/89
“Nanak came to tell mankind, ‘The purpose of the years is finding your reality and living your reality with courage and strength.’” 12/31/89
“It isn’t the life that matters, it is the courage you bring to it, and courage comes from many ways. Courage has certain aspects. Courage has intelligence, intuition, consciousness and grace. No man is a noble man who does not have the courage.” 10/8/89
* From the book Fortitude by Hugh Walpole
