Favorite Inspiring Quotes
Courage
Commentary by Peter Shepherd

“It takes nothing to join the crowd; it takes everything to stand alone.” ~ Hans F. Hansen
As Winston Churchill said, "You have enemies? Good. It means you've stood up for something, sometime in your life."And Dr. Maslow: "Become independent of the good opinion of others."
“Freedom is never given it is won.” ~ A. Phillip Randolph
The only person who is going to give you security and the life you want is you.
“There is a stubbornness about me that never can bear to be frightened at the will of others. My courage always rises at every attempt to intimidate me.” ~ Jane Austen, Pride and Prejudice
Brigham Young agrees: "True independence and freedom can only exist in doing what's right." Beware of those who tell us how to live, who reckon they know better than we do how to live our lives.
“It is easier to live through someone else than to complete yourself. The freedom to lead and plan your own life is frightening if you have never faced it before. It is frightening when a woman finally realizes that there is no answer to the question 'who am I?' except the voice inside herself.” ~ Betty Friedan
The answer to "Who am I?" comes from the voice inside, but the expression of your heart, not so much the words spinning around in your mind.
“What a lovely surprise to finally discover how unlonely being alone can be.” ~ Ellen Burstyn
Loneliness is an indicator of important needs that are going unmet. But being on your own doesn't necessarily mean your needs aren't being met. Indeed, it may be the best way to fulfill your needs for tranquility, independence, time to think, space and freedom.

Here’s some further reading on this theme...
Are You Sure Your Thoughts Are Your Own? ~ by Mark Tyrrell
Received wisdom may be right, but it might be very wrong. If our only reason for believing something important is that other people believe it, we could be in trouble. There are plenty of non-crucial circumstances where we might accept 'received wisdom' or 'group think' without having to question too hard. But when the issue in question has to do with our welfare, our financial, physical or mental health, say, then it really behoves us to be able to question what the crowd seem to think and not automatically go along with that. Continues...