Valor lies just halfway between rashness and cowardice.

Courage is not the absence of caution; it is caution and nerve held in the right proportion. Too much nerve and you charge at things that did not need charging, then call the damage bravery. Too much caution and you call your retreat prudence. The hard part is that from inside, both extremes feel like good judgment.

When a decision frightens you, find the two bad versions first. Name what recklessness would look like here, and what avoidance would look like, specifically. The right move is usually visible once you have both walls, and it is rarely dramatic.