ABSTRACT
The word courage is often misunderstood in our society. We tend to think of courage as it relates to athletic heroes, leaders of business and industry, or the person who faces a difficult relationship or illness in a brave manner. Courageous people have beliefs that direct the way they meet the challenges of life. Whether at work, in social relationships, or elsewhere, courageous people approach their challenges on the basis of their beliefs. The courage to be imperfect is an important concept developed by Dr. Rudolf Dreikurs, an internationally known psychiatrist. Dreikurs suggested that we may continuously pursue perfection without any hope of obtaining it. Courage displays itself in our willingness to take on challenges and to see obstacles as opportunities to succeed. Courage also shows itself in our ability to say yes when we are needed as well as our ability to say no when we recognize that something is not in our best interest.
