Step 5: Face Fear
One thing that I have realized along my own journey is that I would not have come so far if I hadn't faced my fears. Facing fear may seem overwhelming and confusing for a while but in the long-term it is worth it. When I decided to change my life two years ago, I experienced incredible fear. I was leaving behind a "picture perfect" life that looked great on the outside- private school, family vacations, wealthy friends, material possessions- for a life that I wasn't even sure existed. I was leaving behind all the beliefs I had about what life should be like to pursue something more. I thought I was going crazy but I continued to follow my gut- that was all I had then. I had to make choices and changes, feeling very lonely at first because I was venturing into unknown territory, a life that seemed very blurry and distant.
And you know what my fear was? As I abandoned the environments I had known for so long, I was scared that I would lose everything I had. I had given up everything for a life that I had no explanation for. I just knew that there must be something better out there.
And at first the fear paralyzed me. I stopped going to school for almost three months and lived in darkness and isolation. I'm not sure if I would even describe it as living. I felt like my life was crumbling in front of my eyes. But you know what? If I hadn't stopped to look at things for the way they were and realized how unhappy I was, I would have never discovered a life worth living.
Now it is not necessary to face fear in the way I did to discover light. I am just giving you example to show you that even in the time when we think it is all over, it may be just the beginning. You don't have to give up everything to discover beauty, happiness and passion. But I do believe that facing fear in pursuit of our destiny is worth it. If you want something you go get it, even if the only thing guiding you is your intuition. I can assure you that if you take action based on intuition, you will find people who share your vision. I can tell you this because it happened to me- as I continued to follow my heart, incredible people came into my life and I discovered resources and environments that reshaped my perspective.
What do you really want? I say to follow your heart, even if it scares you at first. Make the choice that feels right, even if its not what everyone else is doing. Because by facing fear, we learn and grow. We discover new things and gain perspective. We learn about ourselves and our true needs and passions. We appreciate our individualism.
And really, when we face fear, we become fearless. Because at the other side of fear is power beyond measure.
No comments:
Post a Comment