Education with Heart & Soul

Have you ever wondered how certain people can get such a thrill pursuing activities that to many, are terrifying?  I have watched bull fighting on television and have been in awe of what those people must have overcome to get in there with that wild untamed animal.  I know people who have sky diving on their bucket-list.   No thank you, not me.

I have always wondered how this could be alluring to some and for others it is their worst nightmare.  Is it genetic?  Are we wired that differently?  Or do those people have a secret that prevents them from feeling fear?

I don’t know that I have the answer as to why some tend to be more fearful than others, but what I do know is that fear is a universal emotion. No one is immune. Can you recall the last time you felt overcome with fear? Maybe it wasn’t intense, but more subtle.   What did it feel like in your body? Many times, people relate it to feeling like they are going to die. It makes sense as fear is needed to help keep us safe, and in more difficult times, keep us alive.  But most often, in our daily lives, the fear we are talking about doesn’t put us in any real danger.

Sure we may all feel the nervousness that comes when we are asked to speak in front of a large audience, or when the school office calls to say our young child is running a fever. But what about when we are faced with a new opportunity or we have a big idea we feel called to pursue? Fear is sure to rear it’s ugly head.

Fear of failure

Fear of judgement

Fear of the unknown

So often this is the stuff that keeps us from taking chances. From going all in.

What is fear anyway? Really, in basic terms, it simply a feeling or emotion. True, it can feel overwhelming in our body. But if we just sit with it. If we allow ourselves to feel the emotion, and to understand that it will not overtake us, we can begin to use our minds and engage our wills to determine how we’ll proceed.

How many times have we turned down amazing opportunities that God has gifted to us because we felt fear? How often have we stayed safe or played small because it was more ‘comfortable’? Have there been times when you really wanted to do something, but worried about how it would turn out? As soon as you began to imagine all the possibilities, you immediately recalled to mind the time you tried in the past and it didn’t turn out as you wanted?

Recently, I made a life changing decision. I was tired of missing out on great adventures because I was too afraid to try. Too afraid of what other people would think. I am no longer going to let fear keep me from pursuing my dreams. I’m ready to jump in and allow myself to feel the fear…and do it anyway.

I invite you to do the same.