“Unless we take that first step into the unknown, we will never know our own potential!” ― Allan Rufus
Fear has a way of holding you hostage and preventing you from being the BEST YOU!! Sometimes the fear can be so intense that it seems as if it has grabbed you by the throat, pinned you up against the wall and held tight until you finally surrender to the retrain.
When I was younger, I would have sever anxiety attacks. I can remember one particular day, we visited a rest home and I was asked told to sing a song before the minister spoke. For those of you that don’t know me, realize there are certain things I hate and surprises are at the top of the list. There was no warning, there was no practice and it seemed that the words to every song I’d ever know had disappeared from my memory. I began to panic. I began to sweat profusely. My breathing became very shallow and I was convinced that everyone could see my heart beating through my shirt. I was terrified. But I was a people pleaser and didn’t want to disappoint anyone. So I stepped up in front of the group, wiped my hands on my pants leaving a large handprint on the front of my jeans. Took a deep breath and some words began to come out of my mouth. I can’t for the life of me remember the song I sang that day (probably something I made up). All I know is I wanted the moment to be over and I wanted it over IMMEDIATELY! After what seemed like a lifetime, a fragile little old lady came over to me and said “you have such beautiful voice. And when you don’t allow God to use you, you are preventing others from experiencing His love and power”. Wow I never thought that my fear would hinder others.
When you give into your own fears you are holding yourself back from being a blessing to other people. Yes!!! I will be the first one to admit I still HATE surprises but I’m learning to be obedient to what I’m asked to do because I never know who will be helped by the things I do. I had to come to grips with where that fear was really coming from. I feared being judged, being made fun of, not being perfect, not being like everyone else. But then I had to realize I’m not required to be like anyone else. I’m required to be ME!!
What has fear kept you from accomplishing in your life? What are the real reasons you shy away from doing something new? Until you come to grips with the real causes of your fears, they will always have a place in your life and keep you from accomplishing your goals.
Here are some things to think about when you find yourself paralyze by fear:
- What am I really afraid of? Many times we lack confidence in ourselves. Maybe someone have said you couldn’t do something and you believed it. Maybe you’ve failed in the past (you’re stronger now, you’re a different person now).
- What is the worst thing that can happen? One thing I’ve learned is just because I try something new, it does not obligate me to do it for the rest of my life. If I find that I don’t like the new experience, I mark it off my bucket list and move on.
- What opportunities am I withholding from myself by not doing this? When you allow fear a place in your life, it prevents you from moving to the next level. The place you are in right now is just a stair step to where you are destined to be but you can never move forward if you allow fear to keep you in bondage.
- Will I have regrets if I let this moment pass by? You will never know if you enjoy something until you try it!! And the worst thing you can ever do is to wake up one day with regrets about not doing something. Take a chance and do something new. You might like it!
Never allow fear to keep you from becoming the BEST YOU!! You deserve to be happy and it all begins with you.
