Today was a monumental day that got me thinking about fear and the things that hold us back from our own success. A few years ago I had a horse related accident, I got hung up in a stirrup and was drug down the road. It took me a few moments to get my foot out of the stirrup and I’m pretty sure sure I fought like crazy. Funny thing, (if there is one)…I remember putting my foot in the stirrup and weight on and then everything is blank. I don’t remember the in-between or being drug down the road (probably a good thing).
After the accident, fear got in the way of my riding and things that didn’t used to scare me, started to scare me. Fear constantly kept getting my way. “What if this happens again”. “What if I get hurt”. “What if I can’t”. “What if I can”. So many “what if’s” and so much self doubt kept getting in the way of my moving forward.
I found a great horse trainer who helped me over come most of my fear of riding but over the past few years about 15% still remained and lingered in the back of my mind, telling me what I couldn’t do. Today, I shut that fear down, took the leap and had a fantastic adventure with my horse. There’s a sense of freedom when you let go of fear and you say “I CAN do this”. It’s exhilarating!
When I think about today’s adventure I can translate this into other aspects of my life. I don’t want to live in fear or question “what if’s” in life anymore. “What if this doesn’t work”. “What if I take this chance and…” We only get one chance in this life and I want to take healthy risks (I’m not talking about daredevil crazy stuff although I do love to photograph a good storm). One thing I’m not afraid of…is risking everything for love and throwing caution to the wind. The man of my dreams could live on the other side of the country and I wouldn’t let fear get in my way or let it hold me back from following my heart. I would say yes to the adventure and dance under the full moon with him for the rest of my days!
How does this relate to you? I think we can all find things that scare us a little bit? Stay positive…believe in yourself and your ability to accomplish great things. Most importantly take those chances and say yes to opportunities that will change your life for the better. Don’t let the past cloud your future. Don’t let past hurt or disappointment keep you from moving forward and taking those chances.
What are your fears? Can you turn the “I can’t” into “I can”. Those things you’re putting off to tomorrow, those things that hold you back from pursuing a dream or new adventure….take a leap. Don’t let fear keep you stuck in a place of “I can’t”….because if you believe in yourself….I bet you can. Take a deep breath…enjoy the journey!
Fear and What Holds Us Back
VIEW THE COMMENTS