Discouragement is not the absence of adequacy but the absence of

Hear now the wise and stirring words of Neal A. Maxwell, a servant of faith and thought, who once said: “Discouragement is not the absence of adequacy but the absence of courage.” In this single line lies a truth of great power — a truth that pierces through the mist of self-doubt that so often clouds the human heart. For Maxwell teaches that when we feel defeated, it is not because we are truly unworthy or incapable, but because we have momentarily lost the strength to stand. Discouragement, he tells us, is not born of weakness, but of fear — the fear of trying again, the fear of enduring, the fear of daring to believe that we are enough.

Neal A. Maxwell, a scholar, statesman, and apostle of his time, spoke these words to remind his listeners that life’s greatest battles are not fought on fields of war, but within the heart. He knew hardship intimately — pain, illness, and trial — yet he never surrendered to despair. His voice called out to all who waver in their own journeys, urging them to see that the flame of adequacy, the quiet strength to overcome, already burns within them. The task, he said, is not to search for it elsewhere, but to rekindle it with the fire of courage.

For what is courage, if not the decision to keep moving forward even when one trembles? To be discouraged is to stand before the mountain and say, “I cannot climb.” But to be courageous is to take the first step, however small, and trust that strength will meet you on the path. Adequacy is not something bestowed upon the chosen few; it is woven into the very fabric of the soul. Yet it lies dormant until awakened by faith, by perseverance, by that sacred act of rising again after the fall. Courage, therefore, is the key that unlocks all that we are capable of becoming.

Consider the story of Thomas Edison, whose lamp of invention was lit not by genius alone, but by unyielding courage. He failed thousands of times in his quest to create the electric light, and yet he refused to see those failures as signs of inadequacy. “I have not failed,” he said, “I’ve just found ten thousand ways that won’t work.” His strength was not in his intellect but in his refusal to yield to discouragement. Had he believed his failures proved him unworthy, the world might have remained in darkness far longer. But through courage, his adequacy revealed itself — not as brilliance, but as endurance.

This is the lesson of Maxwell’s teaching: that the power to overcome already lives within each of us. When despair whispers, “You are not enough,” it is not truth speaking — it is fear. The soul must learn to answer: “Perhaps I am not yet who I wish to be, but I am strong enough to begin.” For discouragement thrives only where courage is silent. Once we summon the will to act — to pray, to labor, to rise again — the fog of doubt begins to lift, and we find that what we needed was within us all along.

Let no one believe that the absence of courage is the end. Even the greatest hearts have known trembling. The brave are not those who never fear, but those who master fear by faith. The prophet, the poet, the builder, the healer — all have faced moments when they doubted their own adequacy. Yet they pressed on, and in pressing on, they discovered it. Thus, discouragement is not a verdict, but a passing shadow. Beyond it lies the dawn of renewed strength, if only we have the heart to reach toward the light.

So, my child, when weariness overtakes you and you hear the dark voice that says, “You are not enough,” remember Maxwell’s words. Do not surrender to discouragement, for it lies to you. You are not lacking in ability — you are only momentarily lacking in courage. Stand up. Take one step, even if your knees tremble. Let action be your prayer and perseverance your weapon. For courage, once awakened, drives out despair, and adequacy, once believed in, becomes power.

Thus, the teaching endures through all ages: Discouragement is the fog that hides the mountain, but courage is the wind that clears the sky. The soul that keeps faith in its own worth, that dares to begin again, will one day stand upon the summit and see that it was never inadequate — only afraid. Therefore, be of good cheer, and let your courage rise. For every heart that refuses to give up is already more than adequate — it is heroic.