Yesterday, I was talking with another therapist, and we were discussing fear. She reminded me of the book Feel the Fear and Do It Anyway by Susan Jeffers.
Honestly, I have never read the book, however, I have recently placed it on my must-read book list. Talking about fear reminded me of a woman I knew a long time ago who adopted this personal mantra during a very difficult time in her life:
Feel the fear and do it anyway.
She would tell herself she could feel the fear and that she would still be okay. Often times this didn’t feel true for her, however, she believed it was true. When you think about it, fear can affect us in many ways. Sometimes it is a crippling force. Sometimes it is an internal motivator. Sometimes it can easily multiply and intensify. Sometimes it holds us back from the things we want, the things we need in our lives, and the good things in life that we deserve. There are many thoughts on what exactly the opposite of fear is. Some say courage, while others say strength and even others say, no… it is love. What do you think is the opposite of fear? There are many reasons, sometimes even very powerful reasons, that people experience and, at times, even hold onto fear. But, I believe
we all have times in our lives we need to face our fear… feel our fear and not let it hold us back or stand in our way any longer.
We may need to say to ourselves, “enough is enough.” It is these times when a supportive person or persons can be incredibly helpful. Sometimes we need someone to remind us that we can do it, we need to do it, and
we will feel better if we feel the fear and do whatever it is that we need to do… anyway.
~ What is the cause of your fear? ~ What holds you back from working through the fear? ~ What is the price you pay when you choose not to or refuse to deal with the issue so you can go forward? ~ What good things do you miss out on because you feel afraid? I’m in no way saying this is easy. Feeling feelings like fear and making changes are two incredibly difficult things to do. However, if you know, think, or believe that you can/will feel better, like yourself more, and feel more positive about who you are… then I encourage you to utilize some supportive people in your life to help you as you feel the fear and do it anyway. Go ahead, tap into that strong, resilient, and wise part of you, and tell yourself you can do it… and then walk through the fear to the other side.
