The Book Of Courage
Matthew Kelly
Wellspring Publishing
formerly
Beacon Publishing for
The Dynamic Catholic Institute
ISBN 9781929266104
AISN B00GWRDE8U
This book was not quite what I was expecting. I did not read the product description and just bought it based on the title and the author. That being said even thought it was not what I expected it is a really really good book. The description of the book is: “The measure of your life will be the measure of your courage. Matthew Kelly Between 2000 and 2003, Matthew lost three people very close to him to cancer. Matthew's father died in August 2003 after a two-year struggle with cancer. During his father's illness, Matthew would jot down different inspirational quotes on note cards and send them to his father in Australia. His father would often comment on how these bit-sized portions of inspiration brought a simple focus and joy to his daily struggle. After his father's death, Matthew decided to pull all the quotes together and publish them as a book, accompanied by an essay explaining the role of courage in our lives. This is the origin of The Book of Courage.” So it is basically a collection of quotes with a very short introduction. However that being said there are some incredible quotes that Matthew Kelly has collected. As I was reading it a number of times I shared quotes with specific people, and they often asked for a copy so they could be reminded of the truth presented.
Matthew in the introduction states: “Courage is not the absence of fear, but the acquired ability to move beyond fear.” He goes on to say “So much can be accomplished in one moment of courage. And so much can be lost to one moment of fear.” And the truth of that echoed as I read the book. Matthew says “Courage is acquired by practicing courage. And like most qualities of character, when practiced our courage becomes stronger and more readily accessible with each passing day.” So in reading these quotes and applying them we can learn to grow in our courage if we follow this advice. “The words that fill the pages of this book represent thousands of years of wisdom, but just like the words that fill other books, they are just words until we decide to allow them to transform our lives.” And a final piece of advice from the introduction is “Life is short and you are dead an awful long time. Live life passionately. Laugh often, love always, cultivate soul, don’t be afraid to dream the big dreams, and embrace your God.” So will you give this book a try do you have the fortitude to pick it up and see if you can find more courage?
Some of the best quotes from this books, at least for me at this point are:
“The most secret, sacred wish that lies deep down at the bottom of your heart, the wonderful thing that you hardly dare to look at, or think about – the thing that you would rather die than have anyone else know of, because it seems so far beyond anything that you are, or have at the present time, that you fear that you would be cruelly ridiculed if the mere thought of it were known – that is just the very thing that God is wishing you to do or to be for him. And the birth of that marvelous wish in your soul – the dawning of that secret dream – was the Voice of God himself telling you to arise and come up higher because he had need of you.”
– Emmet Fox –
“First do what is necessary, then do what is possible, and before long you will find yourself doing the impossible.”
– Francis of Assisi –
“Be patient toward all that is unresolved in your heart. And try to love the questions themselves. Do not seek the answers that cannot be given you because you would not be able to live them. And the point is to live everything. Live the questions now. Perhaps you will then gradually, without noticing it, live along some distant day into the answer.”
– Rainer Maria Rilke –
“I believe that nothing that happens to me is meaningless, and that it is good for us all that it should be so, even if it runs counter to our own wishes. As I see it, I’m here for some purpose, and I only hope I may fulfill it. In the light of the great purpose all our privations and disappointments are trivial.”
– Dietrich Bonhoeffer –
“I believe that nothing that happens to me is meaningless, and that it is good for us all that it should be so, even if it runs counter to our own wishes. As I see it, I’m here for some purpose, and I only hope I may fulfill it. In the light of the great purpose all our privations and disappointments are trivial.”
– Dietrich Bonhoeffer –
“True silence is the rest of the mind; it is to the spirit what sleep is to the body, nourishment and refreshment.”
– William Penn –
“True silence is the rest of the mind; it is to the spirit what sleep is to the body, nourishment and refreshment.”
– William Penn –
“Most of the people I know who have what I want – which is to say, purpose, heart, balance, gratitude, joy – are people with a deep sense of spirituality... They follow a brighter light than the glimmer of their own candle; they are part of something beautiful. I saw something once... that said, “A human life is like a single letter of the alphabet. It can be meaningless. Or it can be a part of a great meaning.”
– Anne Lamott –
“Do or do not. There is no try.”
– Yoda –
“Most men would feel insulted if it were proposed to employ them in throwing stones over a wall, and then throwing them back merely that they might earn their wages. But many are no more worthily employed now.”
– Henry David Thoreau –
“Before you can understand, motivate, and lead others, you must first understand, motivate, and lead yourself.”
– Paul Myer –
“The measure of your life will be the measure of your courage.”
– Matthew Kelly–
And almost 100 other amazing quotes. I am interested to see what sections I highlight my next time through. Give it a try a great book to help you and to help your friends.
Books by Matthew Kelly:
I Know Jesus
The Long View
Decision Point: The Workbook
Decision Point: The Leader Guide
The Four Signs of a Dynamic Catholic
The One Thing
Off Balance: Getting Beyond the Work-Life Balance Myth to Personal and Professional Satisfaction
Why Am I Here?
Perfectly Yourself: 9 Lessons for Enduring Happiness
Perfectly Yourself Discovering God's Dream For You
Building Better Families: A Practical Guide to Raising Amazing Children
The Dream Manager
The Seven Levels of Intimacy: The Art of Loving and the Joy of Being Loved
The Rhythm of Life: Living Every Day with Passion and Purpose
Building Better Families - 5 Practical Ways to Build Family Spirituality
The Book of Courage
The Shepherd: A Modern Parable about Our Search for Happiness
Mustard Is Persecution, Matthew Kelly Foundation
A Call to Joy - Living in the Presence of God
The Rhythm of Life: An Antidote For Our Busy Age
Words from God
Resisting Happiness
The Narrow Path
Our Father
The Biggest Lie in the History of Christianity
Why I Love Being Catholic
Good Night, Jesus
In a world where you can be anything ...
Beautiful ... Series:
...
Rediscover Books by Matthew Kelly:
Rediscover Catholicism: A Spiritual Guide to Living with Passion & Purpose
Rediscover Advent
Rediscover Lent
Rediscover Jesus: An Invitation
Rediscover the Rosary: The Modern Power of an Ancient Prayer
Rediscover the Saints
Becoming The Best Version Of Yourself
The Best Way To Live
Don't Just Try, Train
Faith At Work & The Holy Moment
The Four Signs Of A Dynamic Catholic - Excerpt
The Jesus Question
My Spiritual Journey
Our Lives Change When Our Habits Change
Raising Amazing Children
The Seven Levels Of Intimacy
The Seven Pillars Of Catholic Spirituality
(Note: this books is part of a series: A Year of Reading Intention - Catholic Reading!)
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