The beautiful balance between courage and fear | Cara E. Yar Khan

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After being diagnosed with a rare genetic condition that deteriorates muscle, Cara E. Yar Khan was told she'd have to limit her career ambitions and dial down her dreams. She ignored that advice and instead continued to pursue her biggest ambitions. In this powerful, moving talk, she shares her philosophy for working on the projects that matter to her most — while letting courage and fear coexist. Watch for heart-stopping, vertigo-inducing footage of a trip that shows her living her theory to the full.

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24 Comments on The beautiful balance between courage and fear | Cara E. Yar Khan

  1. Wow, that trip would be difficult for anyone, let alone someone with Cara’s physical limitations. She even got a couple black eyes and toughed it out!

    What an inspiring talk!

    • Thats the problem with fear it prevents you from moving towards something. Courage is overcoming that, so essentially overcoming your self your own mind, as they say we are our greatest enemies.

  2. Thanks for this; I needed it. This reassured me, and gave me back the courage to start working again on a letter I’m writing to my abuser

  3. Much love to her I’m a disabled veteran with heart disease and lung disease 35 years in medical field and a broken medical system plus I’m in a wheelchair she is amazing

  4. When she uses the example ‘nobody would marry you that way’, I can’t imagine a circumstance where anyone would ever say that. It’s insane! Unless it’s exaggeration or something? I’ve heard things like this come up in talks and I don’t know if it’s exaggeration or I’m just lucky to not be surrounded by maniacs lol?

  5. I’m glad you decided not to have children, because if you did it would possibly make it so they have this muscle problem.
    Personally I find it cruel to tell someone that they candy do something (unless absolutely necessary) but I also find it cruel to give birth knowing that your children have a high chance of having this terrible illness.

    Then again, I could just be completely wrong.

  6. Too much blind courage sometimes converts into stupidity and most of the time, cowardice hides behind the mask of playing smart. The best balance is taking intelligent calculated steps which have higher chance of success and finding courage to take risky steps about what our instincts/hearts tell us to do in a smart way.

  7. She must be thankful to those who never questioned her limping in such a busy office. Kudos and Bravos for the fearless and courageous journey!

  8. Just my bit I learnt from my life : all my life taught me that fear is the enemy and it can destroy everything. Now that I am 48, I am starting to think that maybe pride may be worst (though in reality pride is linked to personal fears). Of course, I am talking of our countless baseless fears born of imagination. I am not someone who takes risks without properly evaluating the actual dangers, thinking about strategies to overcome actual dangers, etc. but most of our fears are imaginary.

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