Have the courage of your desire.

"Have the courage of your desire." — George Gissing

Thus spoke George Gissing, the English novelist who, though scarred by hardship and disappointment, possessed the fire of one who had wrestled with the soul’s deepest longing. His words burn like a small but eternal flame: “Have the courage of your desire.” In these few syllables lies a command not merely to dream, but to dare; not merely to wish, but to act with courage in pursuit of what the heart truly yearns for. Desire alone is a spark — but courage is the wind that turns it into flame. Without courage, desire fades into regret. Without desire, courage becomes directionless. But together, they forge destiny.

When Gissing spoke these words, he did so from the crucible of a difficult life. Born into modest means in nineteenth-century England, he aspired to live by the pen — a pursuit that demanded both talent and tenacity. Yet the world was unkind to those who chased dreams instead of security. Poverty hounded him; misfortune often broke his stride. And yet, though weary and often wounded by life, he wrote on — defiant, faithful to his own vision. To “have the courage of your desire” was, for him, not an easy platitude, but a philosophy earned through struggle. He had learned that to follow one’s inner calling requires strength greater than comfort — the strength to defy expectation, endure failure, and remain true to the soul’s demand for authenticity.

To have the courage of your desire is to honor the divine within you — that whisper of purpose that calls each person toward fulfillment. Many hear this whisper, but few obey it. Fear disguises itself as prudence; doubt as wisdom; conformity as peace. But Gissing’s teaching reminds us that fear and wisdom are not the same, for wisdom without courage becomes cowardice. The one who dares to live by their desire — to create, to love, to change, to transcend — must be willing to walk through uncertainty. True desire always leads us toward the unknown, for it seeks to manifest something that does not yet exist. It demands the faith to say: “Though the path is dark, my heart knows the way.”

Consider the example of Marie Curie, whose desire for discovery led her into a realm no one had yet dared to explore. Surrounded by skepticism, denied recognition because of her gender, and working in conditions of peril, she pressed forward. Her courage was not reckless; it was sacred — the courage to remain faithful to her calling, even when the world did not yet believe. Through her persistence, she uncovered the secrets of radioactivity and illuminated the unseen forces of nature. She had, as Gissing said, the courage of her desire — and because of that, humanity itself was lifted higher.

The ancients would have called this harmony between passion and courage the alignment of will and soul. For desire — in its truest form — is not selfish longing, but the voice of purpose crying out within us. Every noble act, every work of beauty, every advance in knowledge begins with desire — and is completed by courage. It is desire that gives us vision, and courage that gives us strength. One without the other is like a bird with a broken wing. The wise, therefore, learn not to suppress their desires, but to refine them — to distinguish between fleeting wants and the deep, enduring longing that leads to truth.

But this courage is not born in a single instant. It must be cultivated, tested, and renewed daily. To have the courage of your desire means to rise again when the world tells you to yield; to continue when failure whispers, “enough.” It is to trust that what moves your soul is sacred, that the yearning within you is not madness but meaning. The path of the courageous is rarely smooth — it is carved through storms, solitude, and sacrifice. Yet, as the mountain yields only to those who climb it, so too does destiny reveal itself only to those who persevere.

So, my listener, take this teaching to heart. Ask yourself: what is it that your soul most deeply desires? What dream stirs within you, quiet but insistent? Then, do not wait for permission or certainty — take the first step, even trembling. Courage does not mean the absence of fear, but the will to act in spite of it. Every act of bravery, every risk taken in service of your truest longing, draws you nearer to your fullest self. As Gissing knew, desire without action is sorrow, but desire joined with courage becomes creation — the shaping of your own life’s masterpiece.

For in the end, as George Gissing teaches, it is not the cautious who shape history, but the courageous who listen to the fire within. To have the courage of your desire is to live fully — to rise each day in service to the truth of your own heart. Such a life may not be easy, but it will be radiant, and its fragrance will outlast time. So go forth with faith — for the world belongs not to those who merely dream, but to those who dare to live their dreams into being.