The Courage to Carry On

Part of life is lived in trying to avoid problems, part in trying to solve them and part in learning to live with them—to live with the facts that have to be faced—and to do it from day to day. When asked whom he considered the greatest man of his age, Bernard Baruch was reported to have replied; “The fellow who does his job every day. The mother who has children and gets breakfast. The fellow who keeps the streets clean. The Unknown Soldier. Millions of men.” There are millions upon millions who live a difficult and consistent and most commendable life, with the doing of the duties of each day. And there is a kind of greatness in keeping a home and family together and going, and in meeting obligations and problems, with heartaches, ill health, disappointments, failures—a performance made possible by the courage and strength that come with knowing that there is a plan and purpose more far reaching than any passing problem—the courage to carry on. This gives endurance to those who faithfully and honestly do what they do from day to day. In writing of uncertainties, difficulties and discouragement, William James asked the question, Is Life Worth Living? “Emerge from the midnight view to the daylight view of things,” he said. “Meanwhile we can always stand it for twenty-four hours long, if only to see what tomorrow’s newspaper will contain, or what the next postman will bring. Wait and see (your) part of the battle out…. It is, indeed, a remarkable fact that sufferings and hardships do not, as a rule, (reduce) the love of life: they seem, on the contrary, usually to give it a keener zest…. Need and struggle are what excite and inspire us…. So far as man stands for anything, and is productive or originative at all, his entire vital function may be said to have to deal with maybes (with uncertainties) Not a victory is gained, not a deed of faithfulness or courage is done, except upon a maybe;…(there is) not a scientific exploration or experiment or textbook, that may not be a mistake. It is only by risking our persons form one hour to another that we live at all….this life is worth living…(and) since it is…we (should be) determined to make it… a success.”