“What would life be if we had no courage to attempt anything?” — Vincent Van Gogh
There’s something haunting about Van Gogh’s question.
It cuts deeper than the surface-level motivational fluff we often hear. It doesn’t ask if we have courage. It asks — what happens if we don’t?
Take a moment and really think about it.
What would your life look like without the courage to apply for that job, say “I love you,” take that flight, pitch that idea, speak your truth, walk away, start over?
We often romanticize courage as this grand, heroic act — storming battlefields or giving TED Talks that change the world. But courage is rarely loud. More often, it’s a whisper that says, “Try again tomorrow.” Or a quiet rebellion against fear and self-doubt.
Van Gogh, whose life was riddled with rejection, poverty, and mental turmoil, still found the courage to attempt — to paint, to create, to express what could not be put into words. He died largely unknown. Today, his art has touched millions. And it all started because he dared to begin.
The Risk of Playing It Safe
We’re taught early on that safety equals success.
Play it safe. Follow the rules. Don’t rock the boat. Stay in your lane.
But here’s the raw truth: a safe life isn’t necessarily a fulfilling one.
Playing it safe often means standing still while time keeps moving. And life, by its nature, demands movement. Growth. Motion. Forward momentum.
Without courage, we trade possibility for predictability.
We take the job we hate because it pays the bills. We stay in relationships that no longer serve us because the thought of being alone is scarier than being unhappy. We silence our creative impulses because we fear judgment more than regret.
But deep inside, a voice always whispers:
“There’s more for you.”
Courage is the bridge between where you are and where you’re meant to be. And without it, that “more” remains forever out of reach.
Fear Is the Gatekeeper, Not the Enemy
Let’s be honest. We all feel fear.
Fear of failure. Fear of rejection. Fear of looking foolish. Fear of not being enough.
But fear isn’t the enemy. It’s the gatekeeper.
In fact, the very presence of fear often signals that something important is at stake. Something worthwhile. Something that matters.
Think about it:
- If your dream didn’t matter, why would you be scared to chase it?
- If your voice didn’t have power, why would you hesitate to use it?
- If your idea didn’t carry potential, why would you be afraid to share it?
The problem isn’t fear. The problem is letting fear make our decisions.
Courage is not the absence of fear; it’s acting in spite of it. It’s walking toward uncertainty and saying, “You may terrify me, but you won’t stop me.”
Every meaningful thing you want — whether it’s love, purpose, impact, freedom — sits on the other side of fear.
And courage is the price of admission.
Tiny Acts of Bravery Shape Entire Lives
You don’t need to change the world overnight.
You don’t need to move to another country, quit your job, or start a revolution (unless you want to).
Courage is built in small, daily decisions:
- Saying “no” when people expect you to say “yes.”
- Signing up for a class you’ve secretly always wanted to take.
- Posting your art, your writing, your ideas, even if only three people see them.
- Having that uncomfortable conversation instead of avoiding it.
- Asking for help instead of pretending you’ve got it all figured out.
These little acts of defiance against comfort build momentum.
Each time you choose courage over fear, you send a message to yourself: I am someone who tries. Someone who dares. Someone who moves forward, even when it’s hard.
And over time, that belief compounds.
Suddenly, the person who once tiptoed through life begins to stride boldly. The person who once whispered now speaks with clarity. The person who once waited for permission begins writing their own script.
The Cost of Inaction
Regret doesn’t come from failing.
Regret comes from not trying.
It comes from looking back and wondering, What if I had just gone for it?
We rarely regret the things we attempted — even if they didn’t work out. Because every attempt teaches us. Shapes us. Moves us. Even if we fall, we fall forward.
But we do regret the chances we didn’t take.
The people we didn’t call. The risks we didn’t take. The talents we buried. The words we never said.
And the longer we wait, the heavier that regret becomes.
Van Gogh may not have lived to see the impact of his courage. But he attempted. And in doing so, he planted seeds that bloomed long after he was gone.
We don’t get to control how our attempts will be received. But we do get to control whether or not we show up.
What Will You Attempt?
So let me ask you:
What’s the thing you’ve been too afraid to attempt?
What keeps you awake at night or keeps returning to your heart, no matter how many times you try to silence it?
That idea? That dream? That calling?
It’s not going away because it belongs to you. And it will wait patiently — for a week, a year, or a lifetime — until you find the courage to attempt it.
Van Gogh’s words are not just a reflection.
They’re a challenge.
Because the real question isn’t “What would life be without courage?”
The real question is:
What could your life become with it?
Closing Thought:
The world needs more people willing to attempt.
To start messy. To speak up. To lead with heart. To pursue meaning over mediocrity.
Not because it’s easy. But because it matters.
So today, take one step. Just one. Toward that thing you’ve been avoiding.
Dare to try.
The rest of your life might be waiting on the other side.
