“Courage is not the absence of fear. Courage is feeling fear, recognizing fear, and still taking action.”- Daisaku Ikeda, Discussions on Youth
You don't need to feel ready or calm - you just need to take the next small step even when your hands are shaking.
“No matter what happens, I will not be defeated. I will not run away. I will not complain. I will not be negative. I will keep advancing.”- Daisaku Ikeda, The New Human Revolution, Vol. 1
On the days when everything feels stacked against you, this kind of quiet, stubborn resolve is enough to keep you moving forward.
“Be the kind of person who, when your feet hit the floor in the morning, makes the devil say, 'Oh no, they're up!'”- Daisaku Ikeda, Youth and the Writings of Nichiren Daishonin
Getting out of bed and facing another hard day is not a small thing - it is an act of resistance that your challenges did not count on.
“The true hero is one who conquers his own anger and hatred.”- Daisaku Ikeda, For Today and Tomorrow
The hardest battles are rarely with other people - they are with the bitterness and fear inside you that wants to give up or lash out.
“Buddhism is about winning. It is about the courage to overcome obstacles, to triumph over anything that stands in the way of our happiness.”- Daisaku Ikeda, Faith Into Action
Whatever is blocking your happiness right now - fear, doubt, another person, circumstance - you are allowed to fight back and expect to win.
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