We are on the downhill slide of another work week and another Quote of the Day. As I think back, I can, with a great deal of clarity, describe times where I’ve done something stupid, foolish or dangerous and for most of them I wasn’t scared. I can also describe just as many instances where I’ve been faced with something mundane by comparison and been truly worried about the dangers of that action. Why have I been fearless in the face of far greater risk? I didn’t stop to think it through. I jumped in before my analytical nature could take hold, slow me down and start to calculate all the possibilities. When I dive in before my head can interject I have no choice, in the midst of the struggle, but to find my way through. When I stand on the edge and think about it then I start to imagine all the ways it could go wrong, I could get hurt, I could fail, or I could look the fool for trying. The hard part for me is walking that line. From an early age we are taught to be cautious and to be wary of all the multitude of things around us that can harm us to one degree or another. We are taught NOT to dive in head first. We are taught to look before we leap. We are taught the lesson that the second mouse gets the cheese. A lesson I continue to muddle my way through is the idea that life is not lived without facing fear or danger. We can try . We can run from it, hide from it or avoid it but anywhere we truly want to get will require us to cross paths with danger and fear at some point. Life is not action without fear or danger. Life is action in the face of it. That is what forces us to grow, learn and change. Again, I go back to the lesson my father taught me growing up, “That which comes easiest isn’t always best, that which comes hardest usually is.” I think it is important for me to use my nature to my advantage. I plan, and plot and try to find the best place to cross that divide with the greatest chance for success but I had to be mindful not to let the fear of making a mistake, of being wrong, or not succeeding keep me from eventually taking that step. With so many of life’s lessons being about finding a balance or walking a fine line, is it any wonder that yoga and things that help develop our balance are so popular? Take the opportunity today to overcome a fear. You might be amazed at the lessons you find on the other side. Have a blessed day, y’all! Stay safe, stay dry and enjoy another beautiful day.
