We’re all human. We’re all afraid
of rejection, of failure, or of having our hearts broken. Some of us are even
scared of (insert your greatest fear here). The problem with fear, though, is
it handcuffs us to iron chairs, keeping us from fulfilling our dreams,
discovering new things, opening up our hearts, and living the lives we are truly
capable of living.
It’s time to kick fear to the curb.
Six years ago I made the conscious
decision to stop living a small life. In order to get over my fears, I knew I had
to face them head on-- like a bull charging through the streets of Pamplona. At
first, it was terrifying. Because how does a frightened mouse become a ferocious
bull?
The answer is quite simple: one mouse
step at a time.
Through a whole lot of soul searching,
I pinpointed the issues holding me back from living a big life. In my case, I was petrified of opening up my heart because I had ‘abandonment issues,’ due to the fact my
biological father deserted my mom and me when I was six months old. Now, just replace my issue with yours.
It could be you’re feeling insecure because you’re heavier than you’d like to
be, or because you weren’t popular in high school, or because (insert your own
self-doubt here).
But here’s the thing. We can’t
control the world from spinning or control what other people think, feel, or
do. The only thing we can control is the way we feel about ourselves. We are
ALL human. And we are ALL worthy of LOVE. Some people will ‘get’ and
embrace the lovable you. And other people won’t.
Once I realized that, I asked
myself what I was so afraid of? Was I the kind of woman who wanted to live a
life filled with regret because I was afraid to take risks? To me, a failure is
somebody who doesn’t follow their dreams, who doesn’t take every chance they
get to live and to love big.
And that’s when I kicked fear in
the ass and I became fearless. Oh, believe me, my life changed for the better
and I’m doing things I’d never thought I’d be able to do. Seriously, hook my ankles to
a bungee cord. At first, I’d tremor with fear, but then I’d jump. (Fear can be a motivator if used correctly...)
Just call me Sammy the Bull.
When I
opened up my heart, I rolled with the crazy, no longer fearful of rejection. I also promised myself I would dare to live and to love big. It's amazing what happens when fear leaves your system.
To my writer friends: get out
there! Send those finely tuned queries out! Or email a famous author asking her
to blurb your book! If you need to rewrite your passion project...just do it. Don’t
let rejection get you down. To my friends looking for love: open up your heart.
You just may be surprised to where it leads you. To anybody who is letting fear
stand in their way of achieving their dreams...become a bull and face your fears. Head-on, baby. (Fine. You’ll have nerve
wracked, heart palpitating moments... but as they say- no risk; no reward!)
We all live. We all learn. And we
all (as far as I know) only have one life. So get out there and live a big and
beautiful and passion-filled life. Lose the naysayers. Believe in yourself.
"Live! Life is a banquet, and most poor suckers are starving to death"- Auntie Mame.
Never let fear hold you captive.
If it isn't too personal, I'd love to know: what's holding you back?
"Live! Life is a banquet, and most poor suckers are starving to death"- Auntie Mame.
Never let fear hold you captive.
If it isn't too personal, I'd love to know: what's holding you back?
