While driving home from a workout with a friend just a couple days after the New Year I was listening to the radio. The announcer was talking about the best resolutions that you can make for the New Year. I am not one to make New Year's resolutions so I had not really thought about the idea of a resolution at all. I even almost changed the channel because I felt like it did not apply to me and I have very little time alone where I get to choose to listen to anything other than children's music.
For some reason I kept listening. He talked about how deciding to not hold back because you are afraid. He said that many times taking action despite fear will yield great fulfillment and for him has made it possible to have the career that he has now and loves. He said that he went to a therapist to learn how to do things even when he was experiencing fear and it was one of the best things he has done for himself. He was not recommending to do things that we are afraid of because they are dangerous mind you but rather to start taking those classes that have been put off because of fear of failing, or making a career change that might seem scary, things along these lines.
For some reason this really resonated with me. Actually I know some of the reasons quite well. Fear of failure and doing something without being perfect at it from the beginning has been a constant in my life. I hate trying new things because I feel like I am supposed to be just as good as anyone who has been doing it for 30 years even though I just started. I know this is ridiculous but I usually feel so worried about how others are might be evaluating me that I would prefer not to do it so I can't fail.
I also have been trying for the last eight months to get up the nerve to start a Photography blog and business and a blog about parenting but every time I sat down to do it there was some reason that it was not going to work. I could not come up with the right name was usually the what the perfectionist in me would use as an excuse.
Well this guy on the radio was enough to push me into committing to change all of that. I am going to take new opportunities even if they scare me and I am going to put myself out there trying to create possibilities of success for myself.
This blog is meant to be a record of what I am doing and where I am needing to continue to push back at the fear. Maybe if I am being held accountable here I will be more likely to follow through. Maybe it will even help other people to make the same choice and join me on this journey of taking risks despite the fear.
