[header] How to live courageously when you have chronic illness [title] Be honest about your condition. [step] Life is full of scary things, and your diagnosis may have been the scariest. However, living a sheltered life because you are afraid of the future prevents you from living. 
This, in essence, stops you from doing the very thing you want to do most. [substeps] Before you decide whether or not to go on a trip, participate in an activity, or do whatever activity may frighten you, calculate the risks.