I think that the power is the principle. The principle of moving

The actor and survivor of many storms, Robert Downey, Jr., spoke with hard-won clarity when he declared: “I think that the power is the principle. The principle of moving forward, as though you have the confidence to move forward, eventually gives you confidence when you look back and see what you’ve done.” In this he teaches that power is not first in possession, but in principle—the deliberate act of stepping forward even when the heart quivers with doubt. For by choosing to advance, a man creates the very confidence he once lacked.

The origin of this wisdom lies in Downey’s own life, marked by both failure and redemption. Having stumbled through years of addiction and despair, he rose again not by sudden miracles, but by the daily principle of moving forward, one step at a time. In the reflection of his own journey, he saw the truth: that confidence is not the cause of progress, but its result. To act “as though” is to awaken the strength within; to look back upon the path already traveled is to discover that courage was present all along.

History confirms this in the tale of Sir Ernest Shackleton, whose doomed expedition to Antarctica seemed certain to end in death. With no hope of rescue, he led his men across ice, sea, and desolation. He did not wait for confidence to arise; he moved forward by sheer principle, acting as if survival were possible. Years later, when all his men returned alive, history crowned him not because he had certainty at the start, but because he created it through endurance and resolve.

The ancients, too, knew this secret. The Israelites at the Red Sea, pressed by Pharaoh’s army, had no confidence when the waters stood before them. Yet Moses lifted his staff, stepping into the unknown by principle, and only then did the seas part. Likewise, the Roman generals taught their soldiers to advance in formation even under terror, knowing that action itself creates the power to endure. The lesson is eternal: courage is often born after the first step, not before it.

Therefore, O seekers, remember: do not wait for confidence to bless you before you act. Take hold of the principle of moving forward, even when your heart trembles and the path seems uncertain. In time, as you look back upon the ground you have gained, you will see that strength has been forged by motion, and courage has been birthed by resolve. For the true power lies not in waiting for certainty, but in stepping forward into destiny with faith that certainty will follow.