Fear - I ain't afraid of you!
Fear is a powerful feeling. You might even let it alter your behaviour.
Fear might make you hold on to your clutter because you think you might need it later. You might need that tile-saw in case you ever install a kitchen back splash. You might actually get back into rollerblading but if you give up your roller-blades you'll never be able to do it ever again because these are the last pair of roller-blades on earth! You might be afraid that you'll gain (or lose) weight and you'll have nothing to wear and will want to put on that shirt that's been sitting in the back of your closet for years even if you never liked wearing it when it fit you.
Fear might keep you in the wrong relationship. You might stay in a bad relationship that's beyond repair for fear of the unknown. Afraid of loneliness. Afraid of never finding anyone better for you. Afraid of hurting someone else. Afraid of hurting yourself. Afraid of making the wrong choice.
Fear can also keep you from getting into the right relationship. You might be afraid of losing yourself if you commit to this person. You might be afraid of missing out on someone better for you. You might be afraid of hurting the other person. You might be afraid the other person will hurt you. You might be afraid that the relationship won't live up to your expectations.
Fear might make you stay in the soul crushing job you hate so much. You might be afraid of not being able to make ends meet. Of not being skilled enough to go for the job you really want. You might even be afraid of succeeding because if you're successful how will you ever be able to justify to yourself putting off following your dream for so long?
Believe me, I know what I'm talking about when it comes to facing fears. I'm the kind of person that feels awkward in new situations. I'm afraid of the unknown. I've let fear get in my way.
For example, I've held on to clutter for fear of need. I've held on to bad relationships. I also feel intimidated going anywhere new be it a bar, a restaurant, a museum, it doesn't matter. And I feel awkward meeting new people. Like when dating, I'm afraid that the conversation won't flow, as if that would be the end of the world. And with dating, well there's the fear of heartbreak. And God knows I've had my share of those!
But I've been doing it. I've been facing my fears. I've let go of most of my clutter and I haven't missed anything yet. Actually, the more I give away, the more I want to give away. I've also been having all sorts of new experiences and I've been meeting some interesting people. What I've realized is that what I'm afraid of isn't actually that scary. Sure I've had awkward moments, but I've survived them all. I've also had some wonderful experiences. I've learned about myself with every new experience - good or bad.
So what if you face that fear and make the move you know deep down you should be making? The move that that little voice inside you has been yelling at you to make.
Maybe you let go of all the stuff you've been holding on to just in case you might need it some day and you experience peace in your clutter-free home.
Maybe leaving that bad relationship that's beyond repair helps you reconnect with yourself and you can finally live the life you've been wanting to live.
Maybe making that commitment to that great person helps you grow in ways you've never imagined and what you bring to the relationship helps the other person grow in ways he or she has never imagined.
Maybe you pursue your dream job and now that you're doing what you love, you don't ever feel the need to take a vacation.
Fear - don't be afraid of it. Stare it down. Take the chance. Make the move! Get rid of the clutter and enjoy a well-organized home that brings you peace! Get out of that bad relationship and learn to love yourself! Commit to that great person and open yourself up to all the wonderful things that come with a good relationship! Go for that dream job and be excited about going to work!
This doesn't mean that we should be careless and jump without thinking. And I'm not saying that facing our fears will be easy, but most great things don't come from easy. What I am saying is that my hope for you, for us, is that we won't let fear prevent us from living life!
Fear might make you hold on to your clutter because you think you might need it later. You might need that tile-saw in case you ever install a kitchen back splash. You might actually get back into rollerblading but if you give up your roller-blades you'll never be able to do it ever again because these are the last pair of roller-blades on earth! You might be afraid that you'll gain (or lose) weight and you'll have nothing to wear and will want to put on that shirt that's been sitting in the back of your closet for years even if you never liked wearing it when it fit you.
Fear might keep you in the wrong relationship. You might stay in a bad relationship that's beyond repair for fear of the unknown. Afraid of loneliness. Afraid of never finding anyone better for you. Afraid of hurting someone else. Afraid of hurting yourself. Afraid of making the wrong choice.
Fear can also keep you from getting into the right relationship. You might be afraid of losing yourself if you commit to this person. You might be afraid of missing out on someone better for you. You might be afraid of hurting the other person. You might be afraid the other person will hurt you. You might be afraid that the relationship won't live up to your expectations.
Fear might make you stay in the soul crushing job you hate so much. You might be afraid of not being able to make ends meet. Of not being skilled enough to go for the job you really want. You might even be afraid of succeeding because if you're successful how will you ever be able to justify to yourself putting off following your dream for so long?
Believe me, I know what I'm talking about when it comes to facing fears. I'm the kind of person that feels awkward in new situations. I'm afraid of the unknown. I've let fear get in my way.
For example, I've held on to clutter for fear of need. I've held on to bad relationships. I also feel intimidated going anywhere new be it a bar, a restaurant, a museum, it doesn't matter. And I feel awkward meeting new people. Like when dating, I'm afraid that the conversation won't flow, as if that would be the end of the world. And with dating, well there's the fear of heartbreak. And God knows I've had my share of those!
But I've been doing it. I've been facing my fears. I've let go of most of my clutter and I haven't missed anything yet. Actually, the more I give away, the more I want to give away. I've also been having all sorts of new experiences and I've been meeting some interesting people. What I've realized is that what I'm afraid of isn't actually that scary. Sure I've had awkward moments, but I've survived them all. I've also had some wonderful experiences. I've learned about myself with every new experience - good or bad.
So what if you face that fear and make the move you know deep down you should be making? The move that that little voice inside you has been yelling at you to make.
Maybe you let go of all the stuff you've been holding on to just in case you might need it some day and you experience peace in your clutter-free home.
Maybe leaving that bad relationship that's beyond repair helps you reconnect with yourself and you can finally live the life you've been wanting to live.
Maybe making that commitment to that great person helps you grow in ways you've never imagined and what you bring to the relationship helps the other person grow in ways he or she has never imagined.
Maybe you pursue your dream job and now that you're doing what you love, you don't ever feel the need to take a vacation.
Fear - don't be afraid of it. Stare it down. Take the chance. Make the move! Get rid of the clutter and enjoy a well-organized home that brings you peace! Get out of that bad relationship and learn to love yourself! Commit to that great person and open yourself up to all the wonderful things that come with a good relationship! Go for that dream job and be excited about going to work!
This doesn't mean that we should be careless and jump without thinking. And I'm not saying that facing our fears will be easy, but most great things don't come from easy. What I am saying is that my hope for you, for us, is that we won't let fear prevent us from living life!
Fear only holds us back preventing us from being our authentic selves. Great post! Having purged my life and my home of all the unnecessary nearly four years ago I can tell you I've never regretted a moment or anything I gave away (relationships included). Life has never been better. Congratulations for facing down you fear.
ReplyDeleteThank you!
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