This is a short story about the journey of Hernán Cortés de Monroy y Pizarro, who conquered the Aztecs and is remembered for his notable mindset about fear.
In 1519, Hernán Cortés arrived in the great Aztec capital of Tenochtitlán with eleven ships, transporting five hundred soldiers and three hundred civilians. Cortés' goal was to venture inland, claim the land, and seize whatever gold and silver they could find.
The Aztec capital was ruled by the powerful king Moctezuma. Despite having only a few horses and weapons, Cortés understood that his men, when faced with their first battle, might be tempted to retreat to the safety of their ships. To prevent this, Cortés ordered his officers to burn the ships—Spanish galleons and caravels made entirely of wood. Eventually, they burned and sank into the water.
Cortés demonstrated that we can feel brave and relentless when we face our journey with no option to escape from the problem and avoid acting driven by fear. He wanted his crew to move forward and not act on their fear.
This story led me to a new approach to self-control. We often encounter distractions that sabotage us when we aim to achieve our goals. The reason we are tempted to avoid pain and escape from problems is that we have the option to do so. By eliminating the options to escape, facing the pain, and continuing forward, we can act without fear. This notorious story reveals that we may feel brave when we have no option to escape and are determined to reach our goals without any excuses.
“To reach our goals, we must limit our options.”