Today marks one week of blogging, and is the 7th day of the blog every day in May challenge! Here is today's topic:
"The thing(s) you're most afraid of."
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| Two fears: being surrounded by shirtless good-looking men, and learning to surf. Both conquered. |
I have plenty of fears, though I try to overcome them when I can. I used to be petrified of driving on freeways and driving over bridges (I have my nightmares to thank for that one) and avoided doing so until almost two years ago. That first time was terrifying, and I had a death-grip on my steering wheel, but I made it through and I've been driving on freeways and bridges ever since.
I am not afraid of losing a loved one; I am sad that is inevitable. After reading Brene Brown's Daring Greatly, I understand that the time we spend fearing such a loss takes away from the joy we should be experiencing while our loved ones are in our lives. I know my Lucy will not be here forever (though I wish she could be), but my energy is best spent giving her all of my love right here, right now.
My biggest fear, what I am most afraid of, is missing out. Missing out on experiences, on conversations, on funny situations, on love, on opportunity. I've had this fear since I was young- my mom says that I never wanted to go to sleep as a child for fear of missing out on something. I would hate to be the one person who wasn't there when a sibling said something that had everyone in stitches. I want to experience it all.
The trouble with fear is that it is not real. Our fears are the worst stories that we tell ourselves. "You better not go to bed, or else you will miss out on the conversation." "One day, your dog will die and you will never be happy again." "If you climb that mountain, you will fall and break your neck." These are lies, and the only way to stop believing them is to tell a new story. Instead, you can tell yourself, "It is best to go to bed, you need the rest and your family can fill you in if anything happens." "One day your dog will die, and you will feel sad, but you will be happy that you cherished the time you spent with her." "If you climb that mountain, there are risks, but you are strong and capable and the chances of something bad happening to you are small." Doesn't that sound better?
What do you think about fear? Do you find yourself falling for its stories?
Haha I can relate to all the fears that you mentioned here.
ReplyDeleteI think I used to fear missing out as well... I like your solution to it: to tell yourself a new story. I've been trying to change my own stories lately, as I realize that perspective is powerful and it informs everything. :)