How Emerson’s Secret of Life Will Make You a Brave Person
It is not the length of life, but depth of life

“It is not the length of life, but the depth of life. He who is not everyday conquering some fear has not learned the secret of life.” ~ Ralph Waldo Emerson
What do you want from life? That depends on who you are. But for the most part, it depends on understanding what life needs from you to go on.
Life is a force of nature. It goes against the general order of the day: the disorder increases in the world as time passes. When life starts — and continues — with full force, it acts against the increasing disorder rule.
If you think about it, life is a rebellious energy. Snuffing it out is not easy. It fights back. In the process of fighting back, it learns. The greater the challenge, the more it grows.
You are a physical shape of this life energy. Until you die, you’ll feel forces that oppose life. You and I — as sentient beings — call these opposing forces obstacles, challenges, or hardships. Most of these challenges can potentially frighten us.
What happens when you face a fear? You accept the challenge and get ready to face the music. The decision to face a challenge deepens your awareness of the life energy. The more you win — or the more you fail, it doesn’t matter — the more alive you feel. You experience life in more depth every time you prepare to take life head-on.
When people see your willingness to face terrifying challenges, they honor you by calling you brave.
Brave people feel extra alive. Their vibrant energy charges them. They believe in experiencing life in its entirety and dislike running away from life’s challenges.
Brave people leave an impact on the society. They feel fear like everyone else. But they do what has to be done anyway. It makes them indispensable everywhere they go.
Takeaways
Do you believe you can’t defeat your fears? Think again. You can start with a change in your behavior. Your choices matter. Who you are matters. If you decide to be brave, the process begins right there.
If you want to experience the depth of life, think of making changes along these guidelines:
- First thing in the morning: ‘Do what frightens you the most.’
- The last thing at night: ‘Promise you’ll face your worst fears tomorrow morning.’
- When you are about to face your fears, don’t think about it.
- You create your fears. You can stop them.
- Your fears exist in your head. You can master the train of your thoughts.
- The worst fear is death. Remember, everyone dies one day. Many perish without confronting their fears.
So, the secret of life is to conquer your fears. To overcome your fears, you have to confront them. To convince yourself to face your nightmares, you have to weigh how they’d deepen your experience of life and make you stronger for future challenges.
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