courage – Page 3 – SemperVerus

A Navy SEAL Reveals 8 Secrets To Grit And Resilience

USA Navy Basic Underwater Demolition/SEAL (BUD/S) Training

What can the USA Navy SEALs and research teach us about getting through life’s tough times? James Waters, a former SEAL Platoon Commander, offers the following:

1) Purpose And Meaning
Without a good reason to keep pushing, we’ll quit. Studies of “central governor theory” show our brains always give in long before our body does.

2) Make It A Game
What’s one of the things people who live through disaster scenarios have in common? They make survival a game. The best way to deal with stress is to see problems as challenges, not threats.

3) Be Confident — But Realistic
Lack of confidence isn’t an option but neither is denial. Hope and despair can be self-fulfilling prophecies.

4) Prepare, Prepare, Prepare
Marathons aren’t as hard after a few months of training. But if you had to run one tomorrow you’d probably cry. Who survives catastrophic scenarios? The people who have prepared. Reducing uncertainty reduces fear.

Inspirational Quotes on Courage

In the book Mere Christianity, C.S. Lewis writes, “Very often the only way to get a quality in reality is to start behaving as if you had it already….Do not waste time bothering whether you ‘love’ your neighbor; act as if you did. As soon as we do this we find one of the great secrets. When you are behaving as if you loved someone, you will presently come to love him.”

The same can be said about courage. By behaving as though you’re brave when you’re afraid, you’ll come to actually have the courage necessary to overcome your fear. As Theodore Roosevelt, the 26th president of the United States, wrote in his autobiography, “There were all kinds of things I was afraid of at first, ranging from grizzly bears to ‘mean’ horses and gun-fighters; but by acting as if I was not afraid I gradually ceased to be afraid.”

Here are inspirational quotes about bravery and courage:

“Be watchful, stand firm in the faith, act like men, be strong.” — 1 Corinthians 16:13 (ESV)

“Be strong, and let your heart take courage, all you who wait for the Lord!” — Psalm 31:24 (ESV)

“When I am afraid, I will put my trust in you. I praise God for what he has promised. I trust in God, so why should I be afraid?” — Psalm 56:3-4 (NLT)

“Don’t be afraid, for I am with you. Don’t be discouraged, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you. I will hold you up with my victorious right hand.” — Isaiah 41:10 (NLT)

“Courage is not simply one of the virtues, but the form of every virtue at the testing point, which means at the point of highest reality. A chastity or honesty or mercy which yields to danger will be chaste or honest or merciful only on conditions. Pilate was merciful till it became risky.” — C.S. Lewis

“Courage is not the absence of fear, but rather the judgment that something else is more important than one’s fear.” — James Neil Hollingworth

“Courage is what it takes to stand up and speak; courage is also what it takes to sit down and listen.” — Winston Churchill

“Courage is the first of human qualities because it is the quality that guarantees all the others.” — Winston Churchill

“This is no time for ease and comfort. It is time to dare and endure.” — Winston Churchill

Desmond T. Doss: Example of Stalwart Character

Desmond Doss (#LiveLikeDoss) was the only man to win the US Congressional Medal of Honor while serving under conscientious objector status. A devoted Seventh-Day Adventist, Doss asked for non-combatant status when he was drafted in 1942, but he was told that he could only serve as a C.O.

Doss trained as a military medic and proved himself a selfless hero during the fierce battle for Okinawa. When 75 wounded GIs were stranded atop the Maeda Escarpment, Doss personally made sure each one was lowered to safety, all of this taking place under heavy enemy fire. During his military service, Doss also received the Purple Heart and a Bronze Star, all without harming another human being.

“He was one of the bravest persons alive, and then to have him end up saving my life was the irony of the whole thing,” said Capt. Jack Glover in a documentary about Doss’ life. Glover had wanted Doss out of the unit when he first joined up.

Building An Iron Mindset

Your mindset determines how you show up in any given situation. Using these four mental techniques (The Big 4) developed by the US Navy Seals can assist you to build and maintain a strong mind and stay focused on your success to conquer any challenge.

Goal Setting: Goals should be SMART—Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant, and Time bound—and formed using the WIN method—What’s Important Now
Mental Rehearsal: Visualize in your mind all aspects of a task before entering into it to be better prepared to execute it
Positive Self Talk: Intentionally replace your negative thoughts with positive thoughts
Arousal Control: To help stay calm in a chaotic and difficult situation, use Tactical Breathing by inhaling through your nose into your diaphragm 4 seconds, hold for 4 seconds, exhale out of the diaphragm through the mouth 4 seconds, hold 4 seconds, and repeat. Also perform Progressive Muscle Relaxation by tensing the 4 major muscle groups for 5 seconds, then relaxing them for 5 seconds moving progressively through head and neck, arms and shoulders, chest and back, and legs.

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