Courage isn't always heroic

Courage isn't always heroic.

We often picture courage as something heroic. We visualize bravery as the Batman who dives into Gotham city to fix all the chaos without hesitation, fearless and certain.

But real courage doesn't always look like that. Not something I saw in my life. Sometimes, it's much quieter, much smaller, yet no less powerful.

More like the Biblical story of David standing in front of Goliath. I just love that story. So if you don't know, let me walk you through.

The story of David

The story comes from 1 Samuel 17. The Israelites and Philistines, two groups of people, were at war.

The Philistines had a giant warrior named Goliath, who was huge, over nine feet tall, and super strong. Every day, Goliath would come out and taunt the Israelites, challenging them to send someone to fight him one-on-one.

He’d say, “Choose a man and have him come down to me. If he is able to fight and kill me, we will become your subjects; but if I overcome him and kill him, you will become our subjects and serve us” (1 Samuel 17:8-9, NIV).

The Israelites were terrified, and nobody wanted to face him.

Except, there was one who wanted to. His name? David, also known as Dawud. And kid you not, he was not a soldier, he was a young shepherd.

When David heard Goliath mocking the Israelites and their God, he got upset. He believed God would help him, so he volunteered to fight Goliath, even though everyone thought he was too small and inexperienced.

David refused heavy armor and a sword. He picked up his sling, and five smooth stones from a stream. When he faced Goliath, the giant laughed at him, saying, “Am I a dog, that you come at me with sticks?” (1 Samuel 17:43).

David without fear, replied, “You come against me with sword and spear and javelin, but I come against you in the name of the Lord Almighty, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied” (1 Samuel 17:45).

Then David ran toward Goliath, put a stone in his sling, and swung it. The stone hit Goliath right in the forehead, and he fell down dead.

Courage is exactly this

I genuinely believe that courage or say bravery is feeling small, feeling weak, but believing deeply enough in something bigger than your fear.

In life, or in business or in your career you will fear many. Many above you, many around you, your circumstances, your debts, your future and so much more.

You're as tiny as David, but it's a matter of time if you decide if you wanna be as fearless as him?

I remember Steve Jobs saying, and some might find it irrelevant but I don't.

And Steve once said, “Everything around you that you call life was made up by people that were no smarter than you.”

He was right. It was all made up by people courageous than you.