57 Short Courage Quotes for a Brave Heart
Courage is the ability to face fear, uncertainty, and adversity without being paralyzed by them. It’s not the absence of fear, but the willingness to act despite it. These 57 short courage quotes will inspire you to be brave in the face of challenges, to push beyond your limits, and to take the leap even when the outcome is unknown.
Quotes on Embracing Fear
- “Courage is resistance to fear, mastery of fear, not absence of fear.” — Mark Twain
- “The only thing we have to fear is fear itself.” — Franklin D. Roosevelt
- “Fear is only as deep as the mind allows.” — Japanese Proverb
- “Do one thing every day that scares you.” — Eleanor Roosevelt
- “Fear is a natural reaction to moving closer to the truth.” — Pema Chödrön
- “It’s not the fear of the unknown that’s paralyzing; it’s the fear of what we already know.”
- “The cave you fear to enter holds the treasure you seek.” — Joseph Campbell
Quotes on Taking Action
- “Courage is not the absence of fear, but the willingness to act in spite of it.”
- “You gain strength, courage, and confidence by every experience in which you really stop to look fear in the face.” — Eleanor Roosevelt
- “Do not wait to strike till the iron is hot, but make it hot by striking.” — William Butler Yeats
- “Fortune favors the bold.” — Virgil
- “It takes courage to grow up and become who you really are.” — E.E. Cummings
- “The greatest test of courage on earth is to bear defeat without losing heart.” — Robert Green Ingersoll
- “In the end, we only regret the chances we didn’t take.”
Quotes on Facing Challenges
- “Courage is the power to let go of the familiar.” — Raymond Lindquist
- “A hero is no braver than an ordinary man, but he is braver five minutes longer.” — Ralph Waldo Emerson
- “It is not the strength of the body that counts, but the strength of the spirit.” — J.R.R. Tolkien
- “The harder the conflict, the greater the triumph.” — George Washington
- “You can never cross the ocean until you have the courage to lose sight of the shore.” — Christopher Columbus
- “The bravest sight in the world is to see a person fighting through fear, even though they are afraid.”
- “Live as if you were to die tomorrow. Learn as if you were to live forever.” — Mahatma Gandhi
Quotes on Resilience and Overcoming Fear
- “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
- “Life shrinks or expands in proportion to one’s courage.” — Anaïs Nin
- “It always seems impossible until it’s done.” — Nelson Mandela
- “Success is not the absence of failure; it’s the persistence through failure.” — Aisha Tyler
- “You don’t have to be fearless, just don’t let fear stop you.”
- “Courage is like a muscle. We strengthen it by use.” — Ruth Gordo
- “The only limit to our realization of tomorrow is our doubts of today.” — Franklin D. Roosevelt
Quotes on Self-Belief and Confidence
- “Believe you can and you’re halfway there.” — Theodore Roosevelt
- “You must do the thing you think you cannot do.” — Eleanor Roosevelt
- “To dare is to lose one’s footing momentarily. Not to dare is to lose oneself.” — Søren Kierkegaard
- “Courage is what it takes to stand up and speak. Courage is also what it takes to sit down and listen.” — Winston Churchill
- “Do not go where the path may lead, go instead where there is no path and leave a trail.” — Ralph Waldo Emerson
- “Life is either a daring adventure or nothing at all.” — Helen Keller
- “True courage is not the absence of fear, but the willingness to continue despite it.”
Quotes on Personal Growth and Overcoming Limitations
- “Every man has his secret courage.” — Ralph Waldo Emerson
- “The most courageous act is still to think for yourself. Aloud.” — Coco Chanel
- “Courage is knowing what not to fear.” — Plato
- “It takes courage to stand up and speak. It takes even more courage to sit down and listen.” — Winston Churchill
- “Bravery is being the only one who knows you’re afraid.” — Franklin P. Jones
- “You don’t have to be great to start, but you have to start to be great.” — Zig Ziglar
- “Do what you can, with what you have, where you are.” — Theodore Roosevelt
Quotes on Strength and Bravery
- “Bravery is not a quality of the body; it is the quality of the soul.”
- “If you want to be brave, act brave.”
- “Courage is being scared to death but saddling up anyway.” — John Wayne
- “The brave may not live forever, but the cautious do not live at all.” — Meg Cabot
- “You have power over your mind, not outside events. Realize this, and you will find strength.” — Marcus Aurelius
- “Bravery is when you’re terrified, but you do it anyway.”
- “Courage is the ladder on which all the other virtues mount.” — Clare Booth Luce
- “A man of courage is also full of faith.” — Marcus Tullius Cicero
- “Be strong, be fearless, be beautiful.” — Cara Delevingne
- “Bravery is not the absence of fear but the strength to carry on in spite of it.”
- “You gain strength, courage, and confidence by every experience in which you stop to look fear in the face.” — Eleanor Roosevelt
- “A ship is safe in harbor, but that’s not what ships are for.” — William G.T. Shedd
- “To be courageous is to understand fear, acknowledge it, and act in spite of it.”
- “In the middle of difficulty lies opportunity.” — Albert Einstein
- “Courage is found in unlikely places.” — J.R.R. Tolkien
Conclusion
Courage is not a trait that only the bold and fearless possess—it’s something we can all cultivate. Whether it’s facing our fears head-on, taking risks, or simply believing in ourselves, courage is an essential part of living a fulfilling life. These quotes remind us that courage is found in both the grand and the small moments, and it’s through these acts of bravery that we truly grow.
