Don't Let Fear Stop You!

I would like to introduce you to your worst enemy.  The one thing that leaps at you first thing in the morning, the one that shouts at you when you think of veering off the chosen path, the one that heckles you when you decide to go big and your worst enemy has a name and its fear.  Fear of trying, fear of not trying, fear of changing,  fear of staying the same, fear of adventure fear of boredom, fear of being noticed, fear of be ignored.  The problem with fear is that it sits on both sides of the fence.  It hopes back and forth like a cricket, jumping in front of you at every decision.  Fear lurks in your mind and soul waiting to eat away at your very existence.

  We are not born with fear; we are taught fear from our parents.  It is disguised at parental concern but its really a introduction to fear.  We are taught to fear the unknown, the different, and the unfamiliar and use extreme caution about anything that is not familiar.  If a baby really knew fear then he wouldn’t learn.  A baby would not learn to try new foods, because he was afraid it would taste bad.  He would not learn to crawl because he would be afraid of what’s around the corner, He wouldn’t learn to walk because he would be afraid of falling.  We are born with the natural ability to wonder about things, to explore and to take on adventures.  It is not until we are accidentally taught to worry or fear things that we start to bury our need for adventure and exploring.  Fear is cocoon we wrap ourselves in that feels safe and warm.  It is also the very thing that holds us back from bursting out and becoming something new and beautiful.

When you confront your enemy and realize that the strings that bind you are simple threads that can be cut away easily then you start to conquer your fear.  When you block out the voice of fear in your head you start to come alive.  When you realize life is a grand adventure just waiting for you jump on then you have confronted your worst enemy and won the battle of a lifetime.  Your reward is the experience of new and wonderful things, the joy of the unknown and the knowledge that you were brave enough to face your worst enemy and walk away with your hands in the air shouting “YES I DID IT”

Written by Heather Saulsbury

Published in Enemies by Whatcom Writes