Courage

So, what is courage? It is going forward in the face of fear. We usually identify it in war heroes, athletes, people overcoming significant obstacles, and so forth. Hollywood has successfully told stories of courageous people as long as it has turned out films.

 

However, courage is all around us. We just have to see it. What do I mean? How many times did you push yourself to do something when you were scared or worried? Probably a lot. Come up with some examples, and I bet you will surprise yourself. We don't often think about children being brave, but of course, they are! By the above definition, anyone can be courageous. Here are some examples.

 

A boy I taught to dive at a camp for inner-city kids was scared of the water and particularly jumping into it. With some coaching, he mastered his fear and won a prize. He was courageous, as was the nonreader who came for help at a clinic at which I worked. How about a five-year-old who follows me in my consulting room all by himself, though we have never met. Kids learn to follow adults, but that doesn't mitigate the fact that it takes courage.

 

My wife Vicki stood below a stage full of military brass and civilian bosses who ran the Champus insurance program years ago. They set things up, so we were one down. She took the microphone and spoke eloquently about the program's flaws and the potential harm to our patients. How many people could have done this?

 

My friend, Kay Difrancesca, wrote about the rights of adults who had served time for sexual crimes before the authorities released them into the community. Not a naïve person, Kay was fair and reasonable about an issue that raised strong emotions. Her position was not politically correct, but hers was a courageous voice.

                                                            

                

 

My friend Haig Koshkarian retired from his psychiatry field and began a full-time acting career where he made a name for himself through hard work and staring down his anxiety. I would say the same for my late Massachusetts friend, Kevin O' Grady, who never let his cancer define him. Did he complain? No. Did he play hard tennis and travel? Yes. He was a role model for bravely fighting adversity.