Fortune Favors the Brave: Insights from Ryan Holiday

Fortune Favors the Brave: Insights from Ryan Holiday

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All right. Welcome back to The Daily Mastermind, George Wright III with your daily dose of inspiration, motivation, and education. I'm sorry I missed you yesterday. It has been crazy busy with the launch of our new mentoring programs and some of the things that we're doing, but I'm really excited to be back because today I want to share with you a couple of thoughts.

Specifically from Ryan Holiday. He's one of my favorite authors. He wrote The Obstacle Is the Way, Ego Is the Enemy, Stillness Is the Key. But he also wrote—I’m not sure if it’s a book or a short PDF—something called Courage Is Calling. It’s one of his earlier works that I really feel has some excellent points worth discussing. Today, I want to highlight a few excerpts and insights you can apply right away.

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Daily Mastermind Quote of the Day

Before I do, here’s the Daily Mastermind quote of the day. If you have the Daily Mastermind mobile app, or you’ve been on our Instagram page, you’ve probably already seen this:

“Life is largely a matter of expectation.”

How many times have you set expectations on your life and watched them shape your outcomes? Your expectations will determine whether they’re met or not. So be careful what you expect. Don’t shoot small—think big.

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Introduction to Courage Is Calling by Ryan Holiday

So today I want to talk to you about Courage Is Calling by Ryan Holiday. I’ll share a couple of excerpts from it, and maybe I’ll do more in upcoming episodes. Ryan Holiday’s stoic perspective resonates with me, and this idea of courage is crucial to living a fulfilling life.

He writes:

“Today each of us receives our own call to service, to take a risk, to challenge the status quo. To run towards while others run away. To rise above our station, to do what people say is impossible. There will be incredible pressure to put these thoughts, these dreams, this need out of our mind. Fear will make itself felt. It always does. Will we let it prevent us from answering the call? Or will we inch closer, preparing ourselves to do what we were put here to do?”

That passage strikes me deeply. Many of us know what we need to do to live our best life, but fear holds us back. Courage gets set aside, and fear takes over.

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Defeating Fear with Logic

Holiday goes on:

“We defeat fear with logic. Leaders are slayers of fear. Fear, as we know, is false evidence appearing real. The part of your brain that sees the worst scenarios and underestimates your ability to handle them is not your friend. It’s not the truth. It’s the voice that roots against you.”

Instead, break it down. Ask yourself: Is this really something to be afraid of? Is it just money? A bad article? A difficult meeting? Look at it logically. Investigate it.

This resonates because so often our fears are self-created exaggerations. By pausing and analyzing them, we see they’re not as threatening as they feel. And remember, your best life lies on the other side of fear, beyond your comfort zone.

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Overcoming Fear of Others’ Opinions

Another powerful section:

“The enemy at the root of most fear is what other people will think of us. There’s never been a person who did something that mattered without pissing somebody off. Every charge has been doubted, every movement mocked, every groundbreaking business predicted to fail. Never has the opinion of faceless strangers been more valuable than your own judgment.”

That’s such a critical reminder. Nothing great has ever been accomplished without critics. So if fear of judgment is holding you back, flip your perspective. Criticism might actually mean you’re on the right track.

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Focus on the Present

Finally, Holiday emphasizes the importance of focusing on what’s in front of you:

“Worrying distracts us. It drags us into rabbit holes of doubt and insecurity, away from the task at hand. The stoics teach us to stick with first impressions. Focus only on what’s here, not on imagined doomsday scenarios. What’s in front of you is enough.”

This lesson is about anchoring yourself in the present. Worrying about the future or reliving the past adds unnecessary weight. When you deal only with what’s real and immediate, you take back control of your life and mindset.

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Final Thoughts and Encouragement

These three ideas—defeating fear with logic, ignoring others’ opinions, and focusing on the present—are powerful tools for living with courage. You may not always control your fears, but you can train yourself to step back, analyze, and move forward anyway.

Exercise courage like a muscle: the more you use it, the stronger it grows. And when you do, you’ll create an amazing life.

That’s my message for you today. Take these thoughts into the weekend and ask yourself: Where can I step into courage? Where am I letting fear hold me back?

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Closing Remarks and Call to Action

This has been The Daily Mastermind. Do me a favor—it would mean the world to me and to the community—share this episode with someone you know. You never know how much it could change their life.

I look forward to talking with you again on Monday. Have an amazing weekend.

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About George 

George Wright III is a proven, successful entrepreneur and he knows how to inspire entrepreneurs, companies, and individuals to achieve massive results. With more than 20 years of executive management experience and 25 years of direct marketing and sales experience, George is responsible for starting and building several successful multimillion-dollar companies. He started at a very young age to network and build his experience and knowledge of what it takes to become a driven and well-known entrepreneur. George built a multi-million-dollar seminar business, promoting some of the biggest stars and brands in the world. He has accelerated the success and cash flow in each of his ventures through his network of resources and results driven strategies. George is now dedicated to teaching and sharing his Prosperity Principles and strategies to every driven and passionate entrepreneur he meets. His mission is to empower entrepreneurs globally, to create massive change and LIVE their ultimate destiny.

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You have GREATNESS inside you. I BELIEVE in you. Let’s make today the day you unleash your potential!

George Wright III

CEO, The Daily Mastermind | Evolution X

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