What Would You Do If You Were Not Afraid?

Fear is powerful.



There are many things I have wanted to do, and still want to do, but being afraid of failure, of consequence, of judgement and of things not living up to expectations has always held me back. I wondered then, what would I be capable of if I were not afraid?



I was reading earlier and I stumbled across a list of 'life lessons' by Regina Brett. Some of them I would modify slightly; simply because of my evolving spiritual beliefs, but for the most part I concur. They are as follows -



1. Life isn’t fair, but it’s still good.
2. When in doubt, just take the next small step.
3. Life is too short to waste time hating anyone.
4. Don’t take yourself so seriously. No one else does.
5. Pay off your credit cards every month.
6. You don’t have to win every argument. Agree to disagree.
7. Cry with someone. It’s more healing than crying alone.
8. It’s OK to get angry with God. He can take it.
9. Save for retirement starting with your first paycheck.
10. When it comes to chocolate, resistance is futile.
11. Make peace with your past so it won’t screw up the present.
12. It’s OK to let your children see you cry.
13. Don’t compare your life to others’. You have no idea what their journey is all about.
14. If a relationship has to be a secret, you shouldn’t be in it.
15. Everything can change in the blink of an eye. But don’t worry; God never blinks.
16. Life is too short for long pity parties. Get busy living, or get busy dying.
17. You can get through anything if you stay put in today.
18. A writer writes. If you want to be a writer, write.
19. It’s never too late to have a happy childhood. But the second one is up to you and no one else.
20. When it comes to going after what you love in life, don’t take no for an answer.
21. Burn the candles, use the nice sheets, wear the fancy lingerie. Don’t save it for a special occasion. Today is special.
22. Over-prepare, then go with the flow.
23. Be eccentric now. Don’t wait for old age to wear purple.
24. The most important sex organ is the brain.
25. No one is in charge of your happiness except you.
26. Frame every so-called disaster with these words: “In five years, will this matter?”
27. Always choose life.
28. Forgive everyone everything.
29. What other people think of you is none of your business.
30. Time heals almost everything. Give time time.
31. However good or bad a situation is, it will change.
32. Your job won’t take care of you when you are sick. Your friends will. Stay in touch.
33. Believe in miracles.
34. God loves you because of who God is, not because of anything you did or didn’t do.
35. Whatever doesn’t kill you really does make you stronger.
36. Growing old beats the alternative – dying young.
37. Your children get only one childhood. Make it memorable.
38. Read the Psalms. They cover every human emotion.
39. Get outside every day. Miracles are waiting everywhere.
40. If we all threw our problems in a pile and saw everyone else’s, we’d grab ours back.
41. Don’t audit life. Show up and make the most of it now.
42. Get rid of anything that isn’t useful, beautiful or joyful.
43. All that truly matters in the end is that you loved.
44. Envy is a waste of time. You already have all you need.
45. The best is yet to come.
46. No matter how you feel, get up, dress up and show up.
47. Take a deep breath. It calms the mind.
48. If you don’t ask, you don’t get.
49. Yield.
50. Life isn’t tied with a bow, but it’s still a gift.



Reading this list it occurred to me that despite the fact that life doesn't come with a book of instructions (small cosmic order for that one, please?) it really isn't as difficult for most of us as we would have people believe. It's just a case of baby steps.
Surely then, by taking baby steps, we can conquer the fear that binds us and fulfill our true potential? If we can take things day by day, ambition by ambition, fear by fear, we can evolve into exactly the type of people we most want to be.
Because, you know what?. .

Overcoming fear is powerful.

When All Is Said And Done....

..Will you have said more than you have done?

I'm one of life's dreamers; I almost always have an amazing new plan or venture and more often than not the fickle Gemini inside me (always pays to blame astrological forces rather than take responsibility for your short-comings, right?) decides that yesterday's fool-proof plan wasn't such a great idea at all.. and so inevitably a new plan surfaces.

I have taken music lessons, dance lessons, Italian lessons, (life lessons?), Spanish lessons and driving lessons. I am no more qualified in any of those things than when I started. I got bored. I changed my mind. I gave up.

I've half trained as a nurse, taken law and sociology and psychology, dabbled in The Arts and have a half-finished manuscript on my laptop. I got bored. I changed my mind. I gave up.

As I move ever closer to my 30th* birthday (11 months, 2 weeks and 1 day) I realise that, unless I start saying less and doing more, I will have nothing to show for this year other than wasted opportunities. So, this is the year when I will finish something other than cake. This is the year that when all is said and done, I will have done more than I said.


*30 is my scary age. More on this later..

Gives Me Hope

Some time ago I stumbled across the Gives Me Hope website and have taken to reading the little messages of love, hope and inspiration whenever I am feeling in need of a lift. A couple of days ago I was feeling particularly heavy-hearted and questioning myself, my life, my body, my thoughts (just the usual head-fodder for us former depressionistas) and I decided to pay a visit to said site.
The very first message I read was this -

"You may or may not believe me, but YOU are beautiful, strong, and I think you can make it through this. Don't give up. You GMH."

A torrent of tears followed. A random stranger touched deep inside my heart and right there, in the midst of my self-indulgent misery, he or she gave me hope.

Thank you. Sincerely. With all of my being.