Can you think of an instance in the past year where you have been successful at making fear useful? What fears do you hold about the year ahead? And how could you use the energy of those fears in a different way?
I have made fear useful when our vehicle began failing. I put our plans on hold to make sure our van would be safe to transport our family from the many places we go. I made use of fear when I thought for certain I was having a heart attack, only to learn that panic attacks can mimic them quite well. I had no choice but to start exploring why I was so anxious and how to accommodate myself. As far as the year ahead, I’m scared that we’ll still be struggling as we have this year. I’m scared that our van will completely break down before we buy a new vehicle. I’m scared that I’ll have to fly by the seat of my pants once again. I’m scared that I’ll never figure out what I’d like to do with my life — that I’ll be stagnant. Instead of letting those fears take over and inducing anxiety, I will use these energies to motivate myself to make changes where they need to be made. I will take note of the fear, let it exist, and calmly move forward. I have learned one important lesson about life in the last 5 years: it goes on and gets better. Even when everything seems to crumble at your feet, the curve goes back up every time. It just takes patience and perspective.
Fear can be so powerful. We all have our fears…and fear can be motivating can’t it? It can bring us down if we let it or it can spur us on. I am always encouraged that you find the latter to be so. 😀
Tracy Mangold recently posted..#Reverb15 – Day 9: Secret Ingredients