I came up with a concept because it’s a nerdy thing I enjoy.
This one is called Shielf of Humility, Sword of Courage. I’ve discovered that humility and courage are two critical ingredients for progressing toward a goal.
We’ll start with courage.
You hear a lot on blogs and in TED talks about the need for courage. Courage is what’s required to do something scary.
Achievement requires courage. Can you find me a successful person who wasn’t courageous?
Courage isn’t rocket science. It just says: Do the damn thing.
But courage alone isn’t enough. Actually, it can even be dangerous. This is why I differ from those TED talks.
Be courageous, yes. But be smart. When I was a newbie snowboarder in Virginia, I vacationed to Colorado and attempted a double-black diamond. Courageous? Yeah. Stupid? Oh yeah.
That’s why courage must be tempered by its partner: Humility.
The act of bringing a shield into battle signals that you’re aware of your limitations. You know you can bleed.
When you pair your sword of courage with your shield of humility, you find that balance between stretching outside your comfort zone — and avoiding a dumb mistake.
“Go big or go home” is a flawed concept. It’s all courage, no humility.
You need both. Your sword and your shield.
