Recently, I have become more aware of fear’s power to paralyze. But I am learning that it’s okay to be afraid, as long as I recognized it and then GET OVER IT when I need to.
I’ve noticed that if I want something bad enough, I will not let fear stand in my way. But sometimes I use fear as an excuse (usually subconsiously). And when I let fear get in the way of something, does that mean I don’t really want it? Or do I?
I think just recognizing the fear will help me answer that question. Just how important is it–whatever it is—to me?
If I want it, then I need to push the self-doubt out of my mind and move forward!
When I was in the 8th and 9th grade, I went to this day camp called Junior Lifeguards at Folsom Lake during the summer. During the camp, we’d do beach runs, play games that were actually strength exercises, swim (of course), do mock rescues, and we learned CPR and first aid. But we also had sessions where we learned about lifeguarding and how lifeguards handle all sorts of scenarios, from water rescues to treating burns.
The younger kids in the camp always asked the lifeguards the most ridiculous “what if” questions like, “What if an airplane lands in the middle of the lake?”
There are a lot of “what if” questions that surround fear, too. I can hear myself asking them. What if I suck? What if I fall? What if I look like a dork? What if I fail?
You know what? What if I turned those “what if” questions upside down?
What if I don’t fall? What if I rock it? What if I look like awesome? What if I succeed?
“Feel the fear. Do it anyway!”
-Jillian Michaels
2 comments
Amen sister!! Fear can be an amazing motivator.
I have many fears at work, especially design with conflict management. It’s so hard to overcome. But you are right, recognizing and identifying the fear is the first step for improvement.