Jane,

That was brave.  Opening up your heart for the world to see the brave, pretty parts is easy.  Transparency that lets people see our warts, scars and fears is tough.  Thank you for having that kind of courage in this post.

I too have argued with that inner coach.  Many times I've heard him say, "What right do you have to say/share/teach/lead (you fill in the blank, I've heard it).  That inner coach loves to throw my failures and flaws in my face.  But I've learned a couple of valuable lessons along the way, very similar to those you mentioned.

Truth is truth.
Grace isn't for the innocent, it's for the guilty and broken.
Hope is more than believing where I can go, it's seeing how far I've come.
And to quote the Beatles... "I get by with a little help from my friends."

I'm thankful you're one of those friends.
Have a blessed weekend!