Shower thought’s with Shelly

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Evaluate your fears

“I’m just afraid. I can’t do it, I’m afraid. Afraid that I’m going to make the wrong move, afraid that it’s all going to come crashing down, afraid that I’ll fail…”

Fear:

(noun) an unpleasant emotion caused by the belief that someone or something is dangerous, likely to cause pain or a threat.

(verb) be afraid of (someone or something) as likely to be dangerous, painful, or threatening.

Fear is strange. Fear can be helpful or fear can be misleading.

Fear can be healthy… it can keep you safe. Fear tells us there’s danger in our midst. Fear is part of what aids us in our day-to-day activities, and has us think twice before crossing a street or walking outside during a storm. Fear can keep us from being hurt by real dangers.

But sometimes that danger is in our mind… not real. Or we think situations will be hard or much worse, and we’re surprised when they’re not.

Stress is intertwined there, too… stress is so often a product of our overthinking, fretting, or fearing the things in our lives, but it’s not always a logical feeling. We worry about things—that what is unfolding is not right in some way or another—but the worry tends to be bigger than the situation itself.

I struggle with fear, too. Fear and anxiety have entirely too much power over my life. The important thing is that I’m trying. I’m trying to trust my gut, I’m trying to be strong, and I’m trying to remember that every step I take is a step further than I was before.

Afraid you’ll make the wrong move? Try again. Afraid that it’s going to come crashing down? Rebuild it. Afraid that you’ll fail? Try again. Keep trying again until either you don’t fail, or you figure out that success isn’t measured the way you thought it was supposed to be.

Fear is useful… those fears you have of what might be lurking in the grass have probably saved you from stepping on a snake once or twice. Fear, however, can also hold you back. It can prevent you from pressing forward into the best decision you’ve ever made that will change your life for the better, simply because you were afraid.

So evaluate your fears. Consider what the true outcome could be if your fears are true. Is it worth the risk to take the chance? What’s more… is it worth the risk to NOT take that chance?