A personal reflection
Several decades ago I thought I knew what these two words really meant. I eventually discovered that I had to experience some seriously dark times to grasp their significance. To be clear, I do not think for a minute that I am a consistent example of Courage. Nor I trust, am I waddling around in the murky swamp of false modesty. In recent months, I've had reason to think again of what it means to be Courageous.. And heavens, how my thoughts have changed over time.
Exercising Courage does not demand the absence of nervousness or being downright scared. If this were so, it wouldn't be Courage which means trying to be the best I can be each day with what I've got. This is Excellence for me-and not easy to grasp. Perfection, on the other hand, as in being in full control of my conditions, is simply too hard and dumb. Perfection always produces frustration which gives birth to a wrong understanding of myself.
Courage appears when I try to do what I have to do with no guarantee of the outcome. It's all in the trying, regardless of the end result, which I confess, is not always to my liking. I'm not offering a simplistic solution for every health dilemma confronting folk with chronic conditions. Neither is there one bit of personal scholarship here. Just observations from my experience. That's all.