Man: Trust Thyself

“One would incline at sight to back him against the world,” said one of William the Conqueror, “His very physique was eloquent. Men yielded their wills to his at sight.”

No other knight under heaven, his enemies confessed, was William’s peer. “No other man could bend William’s bow. His mace crashed through a ring of English warriors to the foot of the standard. He rose to his greatest heights in moments when other men despaired. No other man who ever sat upon the throne of England was this man’s match. The very spirit of the sea-robbers from whom he sprang seemed embodied in his gigantic form, his enormous strength, his savage countenance, his desperate bravery.”

“It is the man who believes he is equal to the emergency, and can do what he attempts, who wins the day,” says Orison Swett Marden. “The world takes each of us at our own valuation. It believes in the man who believes in himself, and has little use for the timid man who is never sure of himself, who cannot rely upon his own judgment, who craves advice from others, and is afraid to go ahead on his own account.”

The life of a single courageous man is like a track of light, his thoughts, his spirit, and his courage continues to inspire others long after he is gone. It is the courageous man who leads the way. The weak and timid leave no trace behind them.

Three things are necessary, said Charles Sumner: “Number one: Backbone. Number two: Backbone. Number three: Backbone.”

When Caesar was at sea and a storm raged threatening to capsize the ship, the men aboard became gripped with fear. Caesar looked at the storm, looked at the men, and shouted boldly, “What art thou afraid of?! Thy vessel carries Caesar!” When landing at the beach of Britannia, he missed a step and stumbled over himself almost landing on his face, but caught himself and grasped a handful of sand as he rose and held it to the sky as a sign of triumph, hiding forever from his superstitious followers the ill omen of his threatened fall.

The courage of a brave man is contagious. His stronger nature awes weaker natures into silence and inspires them with his sense of purpose. The individual who carries himself with the unshakeable conviction that he is equal to the task and can conquer any endeavor, naturally becomes a beacon of hope and inspires all others around him.

When a man believes in himself, the world believes in him as well. It is this profound self-belief that serves as the cornerstone upon which trust, respect, and opportunities are forged. The world is indifferent to the coward, to the man who perpetually doubts himself and second-guesses his ability. Such a man, crippled by uncertainty, becomes a passive observer rather than an active participant in life.

The world, in its relentless march forward, recognizes and values resoluteness of purpose and rewards the individual who makes decisions and pulls through with them. It has little patience for the man who lacks the courage to trust his own judgment.

It is the bold adventurer, the one who fearlessly treads forward toward uncharted paths, who captures our attention. His boldness becomes an inspiration, reminding us of the extraordinary potential residing within us all.

“God will not have his work made manifest by cowards,” said Emerson.

Any man worth his salt must therefore be courageous, for if he is anything less than that he is not worthy of being called a man.