When I think of “courage,” I think of the character of the Lion in “The Wizard of Oz.” The Lion is supposed to be the king of the jungle. But this Lion is, by his own definition, a “coward.” He says, “I haven’t any courage at all. I even scare myself.”
So he joins Dorothy and the Tin Man and the Scarecrow in their quest to find the great Oz who will give them what they want: “a heart, a brain, courage, and a way home.” When they do meet the Oz and the great Oz’s true nature is revealed by Toto, the four are distraught. They are desperate for the things they came seeking from him. But Oz says, “You’ve had them all along…”
Yes, the Lion does come away with a badge that says, “Courage” on it. But the point is, no one can give you courage. It is something that is within you all along, waiting to be drawn out of you. Wear a medal if it helps to remind you of this fact. Courage is a state of mind as well as our actions.