--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The great courageous act that we must all…" description: "\"The great courageous act that we must all do, is to have the courage to step out of our history and past so that we can live our dreams.\" — Oprah Winfrey" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7d8/oprah-winfrey-186_courage_the-great-courageous-act-that-we-must-al_2064830.png" --- # The great courageous act that we must all do, is to have… ![“The great courageous act that we must all do, is to have the courage to step out of our history and past so that we can live our dreams.” quote by Oprah Winfrey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7d8/oprah-winfrey-186_courage_the-great-courageous-act-that-we-must-al_2064830.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7d8/oprah-winfrey-186_courage_the-great-courageous-act-that-we-must-al_2064830.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7d8/oprah-winfrey-186_courage_the-great-courageous-act-that-we-must-al_2064830.png) > “The great courageous act that we must all do, is to have the courage to step out of our history and past so that we can live our dreams.” [Oprah Winfrey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oprah-winfrey/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. We must summon bravery to leave behind limiting narratives and pursue our aspirations. **In simple terms:** Leave the past, chase dreams. Key Takeaway Embrace courage, pursue dreams. Themes courage self‑actualization growth Mood inspired determined Type motivational inspirational When to use this quote - career change - starting a business - creative projects - overcoming fear Key Concepts psychology personal narrative dreams Questions to Reflect On - What story are you holding onto? - How can you act on a dream today? A Different Perspective Courage alone may not guarantee success without planning. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Courage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/courage/) [Courageous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/courageous/) [Dream](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dream/) [Dreams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dreams/) [History](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/history/) [Inspirational](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/inspirational/) [Inspiring](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/inspiring/) [Letting go](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/letting-go/) [Past](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/past/) ## Related quotes > [“The most courageous act in politics is to try to understand your opponent.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alain-de-botton/the-most-courageous-act-in-politics-is-to-try-to-understand-your/) [Alain de Botton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alain-de-botton/) > [Sometimes, the most courageous act a human can do is to let somebody love them](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-xavier/sometimes-the-most-courageous-act-a-human-can-do-is-to-let-somebody/) [Michael Xavier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-xavier/) > [The most courageous act is still to think about yourself , aloud .](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-most-courageous-act-is-still-to-think-about-yourself-aloud/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“One courageous act can make you a hero but frequent courageous acts will keep you a hero.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amit-kalantri/one-courageous-act-can-make-you-a-hero-but-frequent-courageous-acts/) [Amit Kalantri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amit-kalantri/) > [The most courageous act is still to think for yourself. 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The joy in the children's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oprah-winfrey/i-ve-seen-that-many-times-in-rural-african-villages-where-people-have/) [Oprah Winfrey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oprah-winfrey/) > [These French-style caramels are handmade in California. 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What it will begin to do is change our perspective…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oprah-winfrey/keep-a-grateful-journal-every-night-list-five-things-that-you-are/) [Oprah Winfrey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oprah-winfrey/) > [I want every day to be a fresh start on expanding what is possible.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oprah-winfrey/i-want-every-day-to-be-a-fresh-start-on-expanding-what-is-possible/) [Oprah Winfrey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oprah-winfrey/) > [We often block our own blessings because we don't feel inherently good enough or smart enough or pretty enough or worthy enough... You're worthy…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oprah-winfrey/we-often-block-our-own-blessings-because-we-don-t-feel-inherently/) [Oprah Winfrey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oprah-winfrey/) > [One if the hardest things in life to learn are which bridges to cross and which bridges to burn.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oprah-winfrey/one-if-the-hardest-things-in-life-to-learn-are-which-bridges-to-cross/) [Oprah Winfrey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oprah-winfrey/) > [You must feed your mind with reading material, thoughts, and ideas that open you to new possibilities.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oprah-winfrey/you-must-feed-your-mind-with-reading-material-thoughts-and-ideas-that/) [Oprah Winfrey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oprah-winfrey/) > [Your soul tells you when it's time to move on.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oprah-winfrey/your-soul-tells-you-when-it-s-time-to-move-on/) [Oprah Winfrey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oprah-winfrey/) [Explore all 971 Oprah Winfrey quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oprah-winfrey/) ## More Courage quotes > [The greatest act of courage is to be and to ownall of who you are—without apology, without excuses, without masks to cover the truth…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/debbie-ford/the-greatest-act-of-courage-is-to-be-and-to-ownall-of-who-you-are/) [Debbie Ford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/debbie-ford/) > [“It takes tremendous courage, persistence, and perseverance to pursue your ultimate purpose.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/debasish-mridha/it-takes-tremendous-courage-persistence-and-perseverance-to-pursue/) [Debasish Mridha](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/debasish-mridha/) > [“Yes, the issue was courage. 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A truly brave man is ever…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/inazo-nitobe/tranquillity-is-courage-in-repose-it-is-a-statical-manifestation-of/) [Inazo Nitobe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/inazo-nitobe/) > [When you heed the calling of your heart, you are following your purpose. Having purpose in your life gives you the courage to do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rhonda-britten/when-you-heed-the-calling-of-your-heart-you-are-following-your/) [Rhonda Britten](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rhonda-britten/) > [“Of all the train, none escaped except Wamba, who showed upon the occasion much more courage than those who pretended to greater sense.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-scott/of-all-the-train-none-escaped-except-wamba-who-showed-upon-the/) [Walter Scott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-scott/) > [The four Cs of making dreams come true: Curiosity, Courage, Consistency, Confidence.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walt-disney/the-four-cs-of-making-dreams-come-true-curiosity-courage-consistency/) [Walt Disney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walt-disney/) > [Certainly these are not easy times. But history does not contain very many easy times. Years from now, we will look back at this…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laura-ingraham/certainly-these-are-not-easy-times-but-history-does-not-contain-very/) [Laura Ingraham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laura-ingraham/) > [Have the courage to go against the tide of current values that do not conform to the path of Jesus.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pope-francis/have-the-courage-to-go-against-the-tide-of-current-values-that-do-not/) [Pope Francis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pope-francis/) > [“There is nothing purer, braver, or more beautiful than the try.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kristen-armstrong/there-is-nothing-purer-braver-or-more-beautiful-than-the-try/) Kristen Armstrong > [“One theory on cannibals, of course, is that they eat parts of their slain enemies to benefit from that person's greatest assets - their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julie-powell/one-theory-on-cannibals-of-course-is-that-they-eat-parts-of-their/) [Julie Powell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julie-powell/) > [It is a tragedy that we live in a world where physical courage is so common, and moral courage is so rare.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/claude-monet/it-is-a-tragedy-that-we-live-in-a-world-where-physical-courage-is-so/) [Claude Monet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/claude-monet/) > [I have pictures with Morimoto where I'm all embarrassed and he's so serious, it took me 30 minutes to get up the courage to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcela-valladolid/i-have-pictures-with-morimoto-where-i-m-all-embarrassed-and-he-s-so/) [Marcela Valladolid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcela-valladolid/) [Browse all 14,559 Courage quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/courage/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "The great courageous act that we must all do, is to have the courage to step out of our history and past so that we can live our dreams.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Oprah Winfrey" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oprah-winfrey/the-great-courageous-act-that-we-must-all-do-is-to-have-the-courage/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Courage" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oprah-winfrey/the-great-courageous-act-that-we-must-all-do-is-to-have-the-courage/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7d8/oprah-winfrey-186_courage_the-great-courageous-act-that-we-must-al_2064830.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7d8/oprah-winfrey-186_courage_the-great-courageous-act-that-we-must-al_2064830.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7d8/oprah-winfrey-186_courage_the-great-courageous-act-that-we-must-al_2064830.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“The great courageous act that we must all do, is to have the courage to step out of our history and past so…” — Oprah Winfrey", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Oprah Winfrey", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oprah-winfrey/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "The great courageous act that we...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oprah-winfrey/the-great-courageous-act-that-we-must-all-do-is-to-have-the-courage/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oprah-winfrey/the-great-courageous-act-that-we-must-all-do-is-to-have-the-courage/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```