One isn't born with courage. One develops it by doing small courageous things-in the way that if one sets out to pick up a 100-pound bag of rice, one would be advised to start with a five-pound bag, then 10 pounds, then 20 pounds, and so forth, until one builds up enough muscle to lift the 100-pound bag. It's the same way with courage. You do small courageous things that require some mental and spiritual exertion.
Maya AngelouI know that you that you may encounter many defeats, but you must not be defeated. If you accept that you have been defeated, you give power to the force that is trying to defeat you.
Maya AngelouGrace is like a lake of drinkable water right outside your door. But you stay inside and die of thirst.
Maya AngelouThere is something more - the spirit, or the soul. I think that that quality encourages our courtesy and care and our minds. And mercy, and identity.
Maya Angelou