You Don’t Need Motivation, You Need More Power to Act

The Overglorification of Courage Should Stop

I was watching an advertisement of Thumbs up, a cold drinks brand in India.

A stormy sea with waves crashing violently against a cliff. A young hero stands at the edge, facing a daunting challenge from Shah Rukh Khan: “Do you have the courage to dive into this turbulent water?” The weather is wild—high winds, towering waves, a full-blown storm. The hero hesitates, but after taking a bold swig of Thumbs Up, he leaps in and emerges triumphant.

The advertisement’s message is loud and clear: courage, boosted by a fizzy drink, is all you need to conquer any obstacle. But let’s stop and think. Is courage really the whole story? Or is there something deeper—something more essential—that this ad, and society as a whole, tends to gloss over?

Society’s Obsession with Courage and Motivation

We’re surrounded by a culture that can’t stop singing the praises of courage and motivation. Flip through a magazine, scroll through Instagram, or listen to a motivational speaker, and you’ll hear the same refrains: “Just do it,” “Believe in yourself,” “You can achieve anything if you set your mind to it.” It’s a seductive idea—who doesn’t want to feel invincible, ready to take on the world with nothing but grit and a positive attitude? The self-help industry thrives on this, selling books and seminars that promise success if only you can muster enough willpower. And ads like the Thumbs Up one reinforce it, suggesting that a burst of bravery is the key to victory.

But here’s the problem: courage alone doesn’t cut it. Let’s go back to that advertisement. The hero’s dive into a stormy sea isn’t just a matter of guts—it’s a physical feat that demands serious swimming and diving skills. Without the ability to hold his breath, navigate strong currents, and stay calm under pressure, that dive wouldn’t end in triumph; it’d end in tragedy. Drinking Thumbs Up might give him a confidence boost, but it’s not teaching him how to swim. If he lacked those skills, his courage would be labeled foolishness, not heroism. Society loves to celebrate the bold leap, but it rarely asks: Did he actually know what he was doing?

This isn’t just about a fictional ad—it’s a reflection of real life. Take someone who’s dying to become a doctor. They might be brimming with motivation, spending hours dreaming of saving lives. But without the intellectual chops, years of study, and hands-on practice, that motivation is just hot air. Or imagine an entrepreneur buzzing with excitement over a startup idea. If they don’t have business know-how, market research, or funding, their enthusiasm won’t keep the company afloat. Motivation might get you to the edge of the cliff, but it’s skill that gets you safely to the other side.

So, what’s missing from this picture? It’s not more motivation—it’s power.

By “power,” I don’t mean some vague superpower or endless wealth. I mean the practical stuff: skills, knowledge, resources, and support systems that actually enable you to pull off what you set out to do. In the Thumbs Up ad, the hero’s real power isn’t his courage—it’s his diving expertise. In our lives, power might look like the education you’ve earned, the experience you’ve built, the tools you’ve mastered, or the people you can call on for help. Motivation can inspire you to act, but power is what makes the action work.

Strategically Take Risks Over Blind Bravery

Instead of worshipping at the altar of courage, we need a dose of realism—call it strategic thinking. This isn’t about being pessimistic or overanalyzing until you’re paralyzed. It’s about sizing up the situation with clear eyes: What do I want? Can I actually do it? What do I need to make it happen? It’s asking the tough questions before you jump—Do I have the skills? What are the risks? How can I prepare?—and then acting with purpose, not just passion.

For example, if you’re itching to switch careers, don’t quit your job tomorrow because you’re “feeling brave.” Dig into the industry, figure out what qualifications matter, maybe take a course or shadow someone in the field. If you’re an entrepreneur, don’t just launch your dream project on a whim—study the market, talk to mentors, secure some cash flow. This isn’t fear holding you back; it’s focus pushing you forward.

Now, don’t get me wrong—motivation isn’t useless. It’s the spark that gets you moving, the fuel that keeps you going when the road gets rough. Without it, you might never bother to learn the skills or take the risks. But motivation on its own is like a car with no engine—you can pour all the gas you want into it, but it’s not going anywhere. Pair it with power—skills, planning, resources—and suddenly, you’ve got a vehicle that can take you places.

Here’s another wrinkle: overhyping courage can backfire. When we tell people to “just try harder” without giving them the tools to succeed, we’re setting them up to fail. They might crash and burn, then blame themselves for not being brave enough, when really, they just didn’t have the right gear. It’s like sending someone to climb Everest in sneakers and a T-shirt—when they collapse, it’s not their lack of guts that’s the problem. This cycle can lead to burnout, self-doubt, even giving up entirely. We need to stop pushing courage as the cure-all and start valuing preparation just as much.

Here’s the upside: power isn’t some rare gift you’re born with—it’s something you can create. Skills can be learned, knowledge can be gained, resources can be gathered. That career switch? Start with an online course. That business idea? Find a mentor or save up some seed money. You don’t have to leap into the storm unprepared—you can train, plan, and step into it ready to win.

Conclusion

So, next time you’re staring down a challenge, don’t just ask yourself, Do I have the courage? Ask, Do I have the power—the skills, the know-how, the backup? If the answer’s no, don’t beat yourself up or chug a soda for a quick boost. Start building what you need. Because real empowerment isn’t just about daring to dive into the storm—it’s about knowing you’ve got what it takes to swim through it.