Mandela understood something most people get backwards: we don't become brave by finding a way to stop being afraid. Instead, courage is the actual *experience* of moving forward while fear remains present in your chest—walking into the courtroom knowing your words might condemn you, yet speaking them anyway. The distinction matters because it means you needn't wait for confidence or calm to act; fear can be your companion rather than your gaoler. When a parent speaks up at their child's school about bullying, hands trembling slightly, that tremble doesn't diminish their bravery—it is, perhaps, the very measure of it.