“Only when we are no longer afraid do we begin to live.”
Last week’s Look Up topic was: Breathe. I can honestly say that reminding myself to do this over the past 7 days was a huge help in keeping me balanced and positive. I reminded myself to breathe every time I drove the car, since I’ve only had it back for 8 or so days and still feel uneasy about the engine work. I reminded myself to breathe when I reconnected (after a year apart) with my BFF, Emily, over dinner on Thursday. I took a lot of deep breaths on Friday when I worked solo at the day job. AND over this past weekend I posted my first item in the Etsy shop and stayed calm throughout the process even though the computer froze the first time around and I had to start over. I’m pretty content with myself about all those things…and that’s what has led me to this week’s Look Up topic.
Be Less Afraid.
Don’t get me wrong. A little fear can be healthy, and keep us safe. I’m talking about being less afraid of the things in life that we cannot control. All year my biggest fears about the shop were not that it would fail. My fears were about not knowing what to do if it succeeded. After all the fear, you know what? Posting things in the shop is actually fun. And I thought: “Man, what else am I missing out on?” This week I will be posting more items in the shop, trying out some different kinds of self-promotion (eek!) and being less afraid and just having fun with it!
What are some things that you feel afraid about that you’d like to try? Or maybe you’ve overcome a fear, how did you go about it?
[artwork © Aimee Elizabeth McEwen]
Yvonne Y
/ 09/22/2009I guess my greatest fear is that of failure…that I would try something and fail. And I would feel defeated and useless. I’ve learned over time that fear can be a great motivating factor…I’ve always been a self-learner and I’ve pretty much used this to overcome the “fear” of trying new things. When I don’t know something, I research and read books on the subject matter until I feel confident about it. I try harder and I put myself out there! I may not be a natural at everything but I can say for sure that I’m pretty competent in things that I work hard at. I’m not a doormat, waiting at the front of the door…I’m stepping on the doormat and walking in!!!!
Have a fantastic week ahead!
creativitae
/ 09/22/2009Great insight Yvonne! Thank you!
Chief_Red_Raider
/ 09/22/2009I wish I had some profound wisdom to share with you about overcoming fears but alas I do not.
I do know that not all fears are created equal. Some fears will cause you to freeze in place while others will cause you to jump into action. A few of my fears have helped me to experience some of the most wonderful things in my life like visiting the Outback of Australia, running a marathon or earning a graduate degree. I may never have experienced those things if I lived a life free of fear.
Sometimes it is good to be afraid and to do something anyway.
creativitae
/ 09/22/2009that’s deep Chief! i would never guess you have ever been afraid of anything. (I’ve seen the speedo picture to prove it!)
Chief_Red_Raider
/ 09/25/2009I am SOOOOO glad you decided NOT to share the speedo picture here.
I don’t know who was more scared; me stepping on stage in little more than 12 square inches of material or the crowd having to look at me in that little patch of cloth.
We ALL have fears. It is how we handle them or what we do in spite of them that makes ALL the difference. Even Yvonne said it, “fear can be a great motivating factor”.
creativitae
/ 09/25/2009one Speedo PIcture coming up!