day no. 15,146: daring courage is a victory in itself

"In order to try for victory, we must dare to try for victory." -- MCDP 1-3: Tactics

2 Samuel 15:21
But Ittai answered the king, “As the LORD lives, and as my lord the king lives, wherever my lord the king shall be, whether for death or for life, there also will your servant be.”

In order to win, you must dare to win, which means you must be willing to lose.

To embrace the risk of losing is to gain the chance to win. If you do not try for victory, you won't experience the pain of wanting to win while losing, but you will still lose. To not fight is to forfeit, but you gain the comfort of not feeling the weight of failure. Of those who muster enough mettle to try for victory, some will gain the glory of victory, they sought while others will fail in the attempt, but die with the glory of having dared to try.

There is no glory in cowardice.

“Sometimes standing against evil is more important than defeating it. The greatest heroes stand because it is right to do so, not because they believe they will walk away with their lives. Such selfless courage is a victory in itself.” ― N.D. Wilson, Dandelion Fire

We aren't brave because we boldly assume we cannot lose. We are brave because knowing we might lose, we yet go boldly into the danger on behalf of those we love in an attempt to deliver them through our mediation. Bravery stands in the gap.

2 Samuel 15:21
But Ittai answered the king, “As the Lord lives, and as my lord the king lives, wherever my lord the king shall be, whether for death or for life, there also will your servant be.”

Daring courage decides where it wants to be whether for death or for life. It has decided. The decision has already been made, so come hell or high water, daring courage knows with whom it's story ends... however it ends.