Fear is a normal response to a lot of situations in life, but we’ve allowed it to become a monster in far too many facets. It can literally destroy us from the inside out. It takes root in our minds and hearts. If we don’t take charge, it can spiral out of control causing us to make unwise and unhealthy decisions and keep us paralyzed in feelings of helplessness or hopelessness.
Is Fear Really Negative?
For most of my life, I have only associated negative emotions with fear, but over the last couple of weeks, a different side was revealed, and I am incredibly inspired.
I’ll save the details for another time, but all three of my children were faced with new experiences recently. All three shared their fear and hesitations with me, some more diplomatically than others, but let’s not go there – communication is a life-long learning process, right?! In spite of their fears, each child moved forward, pushed through, and overcame. I watched them wrestle with individual concerns, and I gave them the space to talk it out and BE in the feelings. They sat with it for as long as they needed, put one foot in front of the other, and CHOSE to walk through it.
My Children Taught Me Walking Through Fears Allows Opportunity
What became abundantly clear to me throughout these moments is that fear is not a bad thing. Fear allows an opportunity for growth. So while I’m over here working on weeding out the roots of fear that have so entangled my mind and heart for years, my children are busy showing me that embracing fear and moving forward through it yields a beautiful flowering of renewed confidence and empowerment.
Will You Choose To Change Your Mind About Fear?
I encourage you to change your mindset about fear. No longer allow it to control you or lead you to a place of feeling helpless or hopeless. Choose to be uncomfortable in it, choose to move forward through it, and choose to bloom beyond it. What a beautiful view it is on the other side of fear. 🌱🌻
Featured image courtesy of Drew Graham on Unsplash