{fear means go}

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Oooh Wednesdays..  The first day of Spring as well..

I woke up today rested from my jet lag and listened to the sound of the rainfall outside as it dropped on the rooftop and rattled the chimney.  I heard the little birdies chirping and I was reminded about how happy I am.

Then I made my way to work and heard one of my new favorite songs that I've heard at church on the Christian radio station I decided to tune into.   It made me smile.. 

My life has changed so greatly in the past 3 months.  

 It's been 3 months.  

Just three months.. 

But in these three months - I've learned more about myself than I have in 3 years.. 

With all these changes I've been challenged alot by fear.. ALOT..

The fear of changes... Everything that comes with change creates a fear inside me..

So... today I caught up on some blogs and found this post on a college friend's blog La Mia Vita with a guest post about Fear Means Go.

I'm going to quote the article but I suggest you read it as well as I'm sure this affects everyone.

Article Found Here 

Next time you're afraid of something, instead of turning around, take these three steps.

1. Acknowledge you're afraid. Instead of swallowing or hiding your fear, and pretending you don't have it, look at it. For instance, if you are continuously avoiding a particular activity or person, have the courage to ask yourself "why?" Doing this requires honesty, authenticity, and vulnerability. 

1. Determine what kind of fear it is. Ask yourself: Is this a healthy fear that I need to pay attention to (e.g., Is there a hungry bear on the path ahead of me?) Or is this a fear rooted in my own insecurities and self-doubts? It can be difficult to tell the difference at times, but if you really want to know the answer, pay close attention to what your gut says. 

1. Acknowledge it as a gift. If it is an insecurity-based fear, it could be one of the most powerful gifts you'll ever receive. These fears are like a compass. They tell you where you need to go — toward that which scares you.

 Over the years, I've learned that fear is a great teacher. If we pretend it doesn't exist, we miss out on all of its lessons. We aren't able to improve, become stronger, and build our self-confidence. On the other hand, if we embrace it as a guide, it can help us move through life's challenges and come into our ultimate purpose — making us more fulfilled, and increasing the positive impact we have on the world.

Read the article.. 

I read it and instantly realized why do I have these fears? 

Everything that I have feared for so long has turned out beautifully for me so far.. 

I started facing my fears and I still need to remember that fear means go..

These are just two of my fears that I've grown and conquered from:

Friendship

I feared for so long about a few friendships that I lost over the years.  I was fearful that if I reached out nothing would come of it, but if I never reached out nothing would ever change.  I finally reached out and was greeted with open arms of friendship lost years ago.  

We're now taking the steps to rekindle our friendships and it feels like not a day has gone by since we last spoke.  Why was I crippled by the fear of the unknown?  

If I listened to my gut instinct years ago - time never would have passed, but I let fear of other things get in the way and ruin these friendships. 

Relationships

Relationships go hand in hand with friendships..  But my relationship with my dad is a big one..

My dad, GOSH my dad.  I can't even begin to tell you about the leaps and bounds I've made with my father.   It's been SUCH a growing experience and I think that rekindling my relationship with my father last summer was a direct result of how I am living my life now.   

It was one of the biggest relationships that was broken in my life.  I hadn't had my dad in my life for YEARS.   We took the chance at counseling together last spring and I learned SO much about myself in a few short sessions.  

We slowly started going to lunch, dinner and slowly the years past started filling in the blanks of time lost and now look to the future with positive growth in our relationship. 

No more being worried or thinking this is CRAZY!  Everything that I've feared has turned out to be the best thing I've done for myself.  

Fear Means Go.. 

So in the words of Nike.. 

Do whatever your fearful about.. Follow your instincts..