President Franklin D. Roosevelt took office in the throes of the Great Depression, with millions of Americans poor and unemployed. In his inaugural address in March 1933, from which this quote is taken, Roosevelt vowed to rehabilitate the economy and reminded American citizens of their nation’s history of endurance. FDR proved this throughout his presidency, and his simple but powerful advice has echoed through the years. The importance of this truism is hard to overstate: Time and again, it is fear itself and not the challenges or obstacles in our path that stop us from reaching our fullest potential.