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The Book of Courage
"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 .
- GenresNonfiction
203 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2003
About the author
Matthew Kelly
197 books1,453 followersMatthew Kelly is a best-selling author, speaker, thought leader, entrepreneur, consultant, spiritual leader, and innovator.
He has dedicated his life to helping people and organizations become the-best-version-of-themselves. Born in Sydney, Australia, he began speaking and writing in his late teens while he was attending business school. Since that time, 5 million people have attended his seminars and presentations in more than 50 countries.
Today, Kelly is an internationally acclaimed speaker, author, and business consultant. His books have been published in more than 30 languages, have appeared on The New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and USA Today bestseller lists, and have sold more than 50 million copies.
In his early-twenties he developed "the-best-version-of-yourself" concept and has been sharing it in every arena of life for more than twenty-five years. It is quoted by presidents and celebrities, athletes and their coaches, business leaders and innovators, though perhaps it is never more powerfully quoted than when a mother or father asks a child, "Will that help you become the-best-version-of-yourself?"
Kelly's personal interests include golf, music, art, literature, investing, spirituality, and spending time with his wife, Meggie, and their children Walter, Isabel, Harry, Ralph, and Simon.
He has dedicated his life to helping people and organizations become the-best-version-of-themselves. Born in Sydney, Australia, he began speaking and writing in his late teens while he was attending business school. Since that time, 5 million people have attended his seminars and presentations in more than 50 countries.
Today, Kelly is an internationally acclaimed speaker, author, and business consultant. His books have been published in more than 30 languages, have appeared on The New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and USA Today bestseller lists, and have sold more than 50 million copies.
In his early-twenties he developed "the-best-version-of-yourself" concept and has been sharing it in every arena of life for more than twenty-five years. It is quoted by presidents and celebrities, athletes and their coaches, business leaders and innovators, though perhaps it is never more powerfully quoted than when a mother or father asks a child, "Will that help you become the-best-version-of-yourself?"
Kelly's personal interests include golf, music, art, literature, investing, spirituality, and spending time with his wife, Meggie, and their children Walter, Isabel, Harry, Ralph, and Simon.
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
August 1, 2016
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.
Read the review on my blog Book Reviews and More.
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.
Read the review on my blog Book Reviews and More.
January 10, 2008
This is simply a book of quotes about courage. There is a fairly good 7-10 page intro at the beginning. The quotes are great and I would highly recommend to have this book laying around and to pick it up regularly and gain encouragement from the great minds littered throughout.
February 9, 2016
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.
Read the review on my blog Book Reviews and More.
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.
Read the review on my blog Book Reviews and More.
January 9, 2023
Each page in this book contains a quote from some of the most iconic people throughout history. The quotes are inspiring. I will keep this book close by and refer back to the pages that are most meaningful to me when I need a pick me up or words of encouragement. First time readers should try not to fly through this easy read. Take your time with every page. Give time to really think of the message behind the quote and what it means to you before moving on.
December 18, 2012
One of my top five all time favorite books. I entered it on the shelf as currently reading , after first entering it as "read" Its both to me , read and currently reading.
Inside the front cover he writes:
EVERYTHING IN LIFE REQUIRES COURAGE
Whether its playing football or coaching football ;
Crossing the room to ask a woman out on a date or
rekindling a love that has grown cold,
your first day at college or your first day back at college
after 20 years . . . .
or coming humbly before your God in prayer.
Courage animates us, brings us to life,
And makes everything else possible.
And yet - Courage is the rarest quality in the human person
and on page ii
No one is born with courage. It is an acquired virtue.....
Courage is acquired by practicing courage.....
When practicing our courage, it becomes stronger and
more accessible with each passing day
page v
The measure of your life will be the measure of your courage
page 1
He who loses wealth
loses much
He who loses a friend
loses more
He who loses courage
loses all
****************************
A remarkable book , a lifetime read
David Lawrence
Inside the front cover he writes:
EVERYTHING IN LIFE REQUIRES COURAGE
Whether its playing football or coaching football ;
Crossing the room to ask a woman out on a date or
rekindling a love that has grown cold,
your first day at college or your first day back at college
after 20 years . . . .
or coming humbly before your God in prayer.
Courage animates us, brings us to life,
And makes everything else possible.
And yet - Courage is the rarest quality in the human person
and on page ii
No one is born with courage. It is an acquired virtue.....
Courage is acquired by practicing courage.....
When practicing our courage, it becomes stronger and
more accessible with each passing day
page v
The measure of your life will be the measure of your courage
page 1
He who loses wealth
loses much
He who loses a friend
loses more
He who loses courage
loses all
****************************
A remarkable book , a lifetime read
David Lawrence
May 1, 2007
When you can't find that certain something to say...
August 26, 2008
Book of Courage quotes that are Inspirational
March 22, 2020
A little book inspiring quotes...
April 10, 2020
Disappointing. Have read other volumes with better quotes.
July 31, 2024
I loved reading these inspirational quotes about having courage in the hard times of life!!!
March 18, 2025
Some nice quotes from people on courage.
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews