People tend to think that courage has to “wow” you. Like bungee-jumping over a canyon. Or giving away your possessions and moving to Nepal. Those things do require courage, yes. But in some ways, that's easy courage. It's also a way to avoid taking action in our lives. We can't do it. We're just not brave enough.
But courage is a muscle. Just as you wouldn't go to the gym for the first time and bench press 150 pounds, you needn’t begin building courage by flinging yourself out of a plane or traveling abroad.
When you set the stakes that high, you never have to approach true bravery. You just get to say, "Well, I’m just not that brave."
But if you tackle the tough stuff bit by bit, you'll be amazed at the results you see in your life. You'll be proud and strong. You'll increase your confidence regardless of the challenges a chronic disease like diabetes tosses your way. Exercising your courage muscles strengthens your faith in yourself. You get to like yourself all over again.
Scroll down to read a simple list of 50 (diabetic-friendly) ways to build bravery and strengthen those courage muscles. Some seem silly. But they're not. They're just a little uncomfortable. Have the courage to do it anyway. That's the whole point! Scroll down and start building that courage up, one day at a time!
1 - Paint your nails blue. (Guys get extra credit for this one!)
2 - Dance for 5+ minutes to your favorite songs each morning.
3 - If you do your diabetes “on the fly,” plan something in advance and stick with it. If you're a meticulous planner, do something spontaneous. Think of it as an experiment (see #2).
4 - Try a new health practitioner. Consider acupuncture; massage therapy; personal training, etc.
5 – Start a blog. Writing about your experiences helps lessen isolation & can be very cathartic. Starting my diabetes blog changed my life and my experience with my diabetes. A journal works, too.
6 – Do the Big Blue Test on November 14th. Share your results.
7 – Try a new lancing device or glucose meter. Ann Bartlett shares some great tips on various meters here.
8 - Begin yoga. Again.
9 – Try Ginger!
Read Ginger’s “My Diabetes Science Experiment” right now, and document and experience the ups and downs in your diabetes-life as experimens instead of seeing them as failures or mistakes.
10 – Let someone “walk in your shoes.”
Challenge your friends, family members, or colleagues to experience “a day in the life” with you.
11 – Give it away!
Donate time/money (a wee bit more than normal) to a cause or organization you believe in. Give it away, and it comes back to you.
12 – Go public.
Check your bloodsugar in public. Look into people's eyes when you're in public - on the street, buying groceries, etc. No need to explain unless the spirit moves you.
13 – Outsource!
Diabetes requires a lot of time and energy—there are countless other things we’d rather be doing than attending to our diabetes. Hire someone to do a regular task you can't stand doing. (i.e., mowing the lawn, filing, etc.)
