The Courage to Start--and to Stop

Three kinds of courage are required in all the shifting scenes⎯in all the trial and error, in all the learning and living of life: the courage to start, the courage to stop, and the courage to follow through.

Thoreau said: “I know of no more encouraging fact than the unquestionable ability of man to elevate his life by a conscious endeavor.” That conscious endeavor may be in the nature of starting in a new direction, of continuing in an old direction, or it may be in the nature simply of stopping something that never should have been started.

It is comforting to know that we can alter and elevate life by conscious endeavor. This implies a certain degree of flexibility, along with unchanging principles. We all go through some waste motion; we all make some mistakes; we all set out on some detours and pursue some wrong roads; and the dogged assumption (perhaps partly pride) that, once having started wrong, we have to follow through, is one reason why people sometimes find themselves in deep and dangerous ruts.

All the choices of life, all its habits, all the ruts, should be looked at forthrightly, searchingly, sincerely. Progress is a process of developing and doing⎯sometimes continuing, sometimes changing⎯pressing forward when we should, repenting when we should, and not feeling obliged to continue on any wrong road.

We should have the courage to start good things, to continue good things, to continue to learn, and to “hold fast that which is good.” We should also have the courage to stop, to leave behind a habit we should not have, no matter how tight its hold. In short, we need the courage to start and continue what we should do, and the courage to stop what we shouldn’t do.