Fear can only live in our minds if we entertain it, but it can be so subtle and insidious that it’s hard to recognize. Sometimes fear hides behind a mask of anger, depression or isolation. It takes a little deep digging to uncover the truth: that fear is what’s motivating that feeling or lifestyle choice.
Wanting to go for it!
It seems as though I’ve hit a bit of a plateau in my life. Things are going well and I’m very grateful for what I have, but I’m not taking the steps I believe I need to in order to fulfill my dreams. I want to teach yoga more regularly and continue to grow my writing business, but I seem to be lacking the push to do it. My yoga practice has shifted, too and it seems as though I’m now a little hesitant to just “go for it” on my mat. As a passionate, driven and hard working person it feels strange for me to feel unmotivated. While I encourage stillness and taking times of rest in life, I know the difference between resting and getting stuck. For me, it started to turn into the latter.
I’m scared of success!
I’ve now realized that it is fear that’s holding me back. Underneath that hard-to-articulate general sense of anxiety, I found fear. I took moments alone and meditated or sat quietly to uncover what was behind this unsettled feeling in my soul. I have come to see that fear is preventing me from moving forward, because part of me is scared of what I will accomplish. I’m scared of success! I don’t know how pursuing my dreams with 100% intensity will shift my life and that scares the need-to-knower in me. Now that I know that, I believe I can start moving past this static place and into a realm of possibility, freedom and bliss! After all, fear isn’t real. By definition, fear is False Evidence Appearing Real. These untruths we sometimes choose to believe only have power over us if we let them.
“Just Do It”
I’m a strong believer in facing your fears. I’m not saying you should go try out exposure therapy if you’re having trouble co-existing with spiders (although, you could!), I’m saying a fear cannot survive an experience that proves it to be faulty. I’ve had the Nike “Just Do It” attitude for most of my life, believing if you loiter too long and overthink something you may lose the drive to “just do it.” Each experience that I at one-time feared, like moving out alone, going on television, graduating from university and changing careers, has sped up my personal growth so much, and I’m grateful for each moment. I leave you with this one question: what would you do with your life, your energy, your time here on the planet if you couldn’t feel fear? The possibilities are endless.
