Eleanor Roosevelt - You gain strength, courage and confidence by every experience in which you really stop to look fear in the face.

the Daily Quote

Welcome to the Daily Quote – a podcast designed to kickstart your day in a positive way. I'm your host, Andrew McGivern, for August 16th.Today is National Roller Coaster Day, and honestly, what better metaphor is there for life than a roller coaster? The anticipation as you climb that first hill, the stomach-dropping plunge, the unexpected turns, the exhilarating loops, and somehow, by the end of the ride, you're laughing and ready to go again.

Each year on August 16th, people flock to amusement parks for thrills, screams, and to celebrate these magnificent machines of controlled chaos.

The first roller coaster in America was built at Coney Island in 1884, and since then, these gravity-powered adventures have evolved into incredible feats of engineering. Today's roller coasters can launch you from 0 to 120 miles per hour in seconds, flip you upside down multiple times, and somehow deliver you safely back to the station with nothing but an adrenaline rush and a huge grin.

But here's what's beautiful about roller coasters – they teach us something important about fear, trust, and the joy that can come from surrendering control.Which brings us to today's quote from Eleanor Roosevelt, who once said:"You gain strength, courage and confidence by every experience in which you really stop to look fear in the face."Eleanor Roosevelt understood something that every roller coaster rider learns – facing fear doesn't just help you survive the scary thing, it actually makes you stronger for the next challenge.

Think about your first roller coaster ride. You probably spent the entire wait in line terrified, maybe reconsidering your decision with every step forward. Your heart was pounding before you even got on. But somewhere between that first terrifying drop and the final brake run, something magical happened – you realized you could handle it. You could face the fear and come out the other side not just intact, but exhilarated.

That's exactly what Roosevelt was talking about. Every time we choose to face something that scares us – whether it's a roller coaster, a job interview, a difficult conversation, or a major life change – we're building our capacity for courage. We're proving to ourselves that we're stronger and braver than we think.

Roller coasters are perfect training grounds for life because they offer controlled fear. The engineers have done all the calculations, the safety systems are in place, and millions of people have ridden before you. The fear is real, but the danger is minimal. It's like a practice round for bigger, scarier challenges.It would be cool if I could say that I used to be scared of roller coasters and my kids finally convinced me to try one and I faced the fear and now love roller coasters. That would be a good story. But it isn't true... I don't remember EVER being scared of roller coasters. I love roller coasters. The big old wooden ones, the modern high speed looping ones... I love it. I love the thrill of the perceived danger with the risk engineered out.As I get older, some of the rides I used to love are a little less appealing but the roller coasters are still awesome!So today, in honor of National Roller Coaster Day, think about Eleanor Roosevelt's wisdom. What fear have you been avoiding that might actually make you stronger if you faced it? What roller coaster in your life are you standing in line for but afraid to board?

Remember, courage isn't the absence of fear – it's feeling the fear and choosing to move forward anyway. Sometimes the best way to build confidence is to strap yourself in and enjoy the ride.

That's going to do it for today. May your fears become your adventures, your challenges become your victories, and your life be as thrilling as the best roller coaster.

I'm Andrew McGivern, signing off for now, but I'll be back tomorrow – same pod time, same pod station – with another Daily Quote.