Facing your Fears

When we think about fear, what comes to mind? Is it the monster under your bed? The terrifying thought of what would happen when you step off the bed in the middle of the night only to be grabbed by a hand and pulled under, never to see the light of day again, is that your fear? Probably not nowadays. Our fear evolves over time. As we age, we begin to rationalize our thoughts and become more aware of reality. This can be both good and bad. Yes, when we were little we had these fears of unrealistic monsters, but we also had tea parties with our teddy bears. We had imaginary friends that never got tired. Letting go of that child like mind and stepping into reality, now that is scary! For some of us, we use distractions. Maybe not with an imaginary friend, but what about when we pack our schedule so tight so that we don’t have to deal with our feelings? Or when we make excuses to avoid uncomfortable situations? This is another way we avoid facing our fears, maybe the fear of not meeting your own expectations. These are all fears that people evade on the daily. What would happen if we just face them head on? Sure, maybe we would fail, but why is that bad? Facing fears doesn’t mean conquering everything that you are up against, it simply means looking at your metaphorical monster in the eye and saying, “I am in control”. Take your control back this October. Challenge yourself and see what happens when you choose the road less travelled. Tell your monster to kick rocks, this is your time to rise above because truly there is nothing scarier than realizing you missed out on your life because of fear. 

When we think about fear, what comes to mind? Is it the monster under your bed? The terrifying thought of what would happen when you step off the bed in the middle of the night only to be grabbed by a hand and pulled under, never to see the light of day again, is that your fear? Probably not nowadays. Our fear evolves over time. As we age, we begin to rationalize our thoughts and become more aware of reality. This can be both good and bad. Yes, when we were little we had these fears of unrealistic monsters, but we also had tea parties with our teddy bears. We had imaginary friends that never got tired. Letting go of that child like mind and stepping into reality, now that is scary! For some of us, we use distractions. Maybe not with an imaginary friend, but what about when we pack our schedule so tight so that we don’t have to deal with our feelings? Or when we make excuses to avoid uncomfortable situations? This is another way we avoid facing our fears, maybe the fear of not meeting your own expectations. These are all fears that people evade on the daily. What would happen if we just face them head on? Sure, maybe we would fail, but why is that bad? Facing fears doesn’t mean conquering everything that you are up against, it simply means looking at your metaphorical monster in the eye and saying, “I am in control”. Take your control back this October. Challenge yourself and see what happens when you choose the road less travelled. Tell your monster to kick rocks, this is your time to rise above because truly there is nothing scarier than realizing you missed out on your life because of fear. 

By Mel Maldonado