Facing the Enemies Within

We are not born with courage, but neither are we born with fear. Maybe some of our fears are brought on by your own experiences, by what someone has told you, by what you’ve read in the papers. Some fears are valid, like walking alone in a bad part of town at two o’clock in the morning. But once you learn to avoid that situation, you won’t need to live in fear of it.
Fears, even the most basic ones, can totally destroy our ambitions. Fear can destroy fortunes. Fear can destroy relationships. Fear, if left unchecked, can destroy our lives. Fear is one of the many enemies lurking inside us.

Let me tell you about five of the other enemies we face from within. The first enemy that you’ve got to destroy before it destroys you is indifference. What a tragic disease this is! “Ho-hum, let it slide. I’ll just drift along.” Here’s one problem with drifting: you can’t drift your way to the to of the mountain.
The second enemy we face is indecision. Indecision is the thief of opportunity and enterprise. It will steal your chances for a better future. Take a sword to this enemy.

The third enemy inside is doubt. Sure, there’s room for healthy skepticism. You can’t believe everything. But you also can’t let doubt take over. Many people doubt the past, doubt the future, doubt each other, doubt the government, doubt the possibilities and doubt the opportunities. Worse of all, they doubt themselves. I’m telling you, doubt will destroy your life and your chances of success. It will empty both your bank account and
your heart. Doubt is an enemy. Go after it. Get rid of it.

The fourth enemy within is worry. We’ve all got to worry some. Just don’t let conquer you. Instead, let it alarm you. Worry can be useful. If you step off the curb in New York City and a taxi is coming, you’ve got to worry. But you can’t let worry loose like a mad dog that drives you into a small corner. Here’s what you’ve got to do with your worries: drive them into a small corner. Whatever is out to get you, you’ve got to get it. Whatever is pushing on you, you’ve got to push back.

The fifth interior enemy is overcaution. It is the timid approach to life. Timidity is not a virtue; it’s an illness. If you let it go, it’ll conquer you. Timid people don’t get promoted. They don’t advance and grow and become powerful in the marketplace. You’ve got to avoid overcaution.

Do battle with the enemy. Do battle with your fears. Build your courage to fight what’s holding ou back, what’s keeping you from your goals and dreams. Be courageous in your life and in your pursuit of the things you want and the person you want to become.

直面內在的敵人

我們的勇氣并不是與生俱來的，我們的恐懼也不是。也許有些恐懼來自你的親身經歷，別人告訴你的故事，或你在報紙上讀到的東西。有些恐懼可以理解，例如在凌晨兩點獨自走在城里不安全的地段。但是一旦你學會避免那種情況，你就不必生活在恐懼之中。

恐懼，哪怕是最基本的恐懼，也可能徹底粉碎我們的抱負。恐懼可能摧毀財富，也可能摧毀一段感情。如果不加以控制，恐懼還可能摧毀我們的生活。恐懼是潛伏于我們內心的眾多敵人之一。

讓我來告訴你我們面臨的其他五個內在敵人。第一個你要在它襲擊你之前將其擊敗的敵人是冷漠。打著哈欠說：“隨它去吧，我就隨波逐流吧。”這是多么可悲的疾病啊！隨波逐流的問題是：你不可能漂流到山頂去。
我們面臨的第二個敵人是優柔寡斷。它是竊取機會和事業的賊，它還會偷去你實現更美好未來的機會。向這個敵人出劍吧！

第三個內在的敵人是懷疑。當然，正常的懷疑還是有一席之地的，你不能相信一切。但是你也不能讓懷疑掌管一切。許多人懷疑過去，懷疑未來，懷疑彼此，懷疑政府，懷疑可能性，并懷疑機會。最糟糕的是，他們懷疑自己。我告訴你，懷疑會毀掉你的生活和你成功的機會，它會耗盡你的存款，留給你干涸的心靈。懷疑是敵人，追趕它，消滅它。

第四個內在的敵人是擔憂。我們都會有些擔憂，不過千萬不要讓擔憂征服你。相反，讓它來警醒你。擔憂也許能派上用場。當你在紐約走上人行道時有一輛出租車向你駛來，你就得擔憂。但你不能讓擔憂像瘋狗一樣失控，將你逼至死角。你應該這樣對付自己的擔憂：把擔憂驅至死角。不管是什么來打擊你，你都要打擊它。不管什么攻擊你，你都要反擊。

第五個內在的敵人是過分謹慎。那是膽小的生活方式。膽怯不是美德，而是一種疾病。如果你不理會它，它就會將你征服。膽怯的人不會得到提拔，他們在市場中不會前進，不會成長，不會變得強大。你要避免過分謹慎。

一定要向這引起敵人開戰。一定要向恐懼開戰。鼓起勇氣抗擊阻擋你的事物，與阻止你實現目標和夢想的事物作斗爭。要勇敢地生活，勇敢地追求你想要的事物并勇敢地成為你想成為的人。