It’s OK to Be Afraid

Have you ever stood there on the edge of a cliff and looked down into the swirling water below and been so paralyzed by fear that you forgot you ever wanted to jump? This may not even be a real cliff either; it could be completely metaphoric. Maybe you said no to that date because you were afraid to get too close, or you chose to skip that party because you were afraid you wouldn’t know anyone. 

 

We face choices and are confronted by fear everyday. I am here to tell you that it is OK to be afraid. Life is a scary thing, and there is no map you can refer to when you are stuck at a fork in the road and can’t decide to go left or right. The fear we face is not something to suppress, because then we’ll never know who we really are as we blindly 

jump into things, never knowing if we actually enjoyed the ride. 

 

It is the fear that we face that makes our heart race, and lets us know that we are still here, that we are still human. But we cannot live in fear. When you acknowledge it, and recognize it is there, you can make the decision to either jump or remain on the edge. But living in fear takes away your decision. A paralyzing fear takes over and forces you move further and further away from the edge, never looking into the water below.

 

There are the times when you jump and hit the icy water, only to be pulled down by the undertow of failure, and you become afraid again. Sink or swim? You can allow yourself to be swept up by the current and carried out towards a sea of new horizons, or you can fight your way back to shore and pick up where you left off. The decision is yours. The best part is that there is no wrong choice. 

 

Sometimes, if you are lucky enough, you may even learn how to float. Staying just above the tumultuous water below, and just underneath the high peak you once stood on; and for that brief moment, one way or another, you are at peace. In this moment you are content to just “be.” 

 

When you reach the shore, you may decide to dive back in or begin another climb. Changing your mind is a wonderful thing. It means that you are beginning to listen to what your inner voice is telling you, and that you are less afraid because you are willing to follow it. You may even change your mind many times in the course of one outing, but the fact remains that you are making the decision, and you are in control over which path you take.

 

Embrace your fears, and realize that they are what make you who you are. It is OK to say that you are afraid and that it is OK that you don’t want to do something. But also realize that by not doing anything you may be missing out on an amazing experience. Change your mind, and realize you want something else half way through, make mistakes, get hopelessly lost! That is what life is for! It’s messy, but is beautiful. 

 

Henry Ford once said that “One of the greatest discoveries a man makes, one of his great surprises, is to find he can do what he was afraid he couldn’t do.”

 

I wish you luck in your life and in your endeavors; and I hope that fear doesn’t keep you from living your beautiful life.

 

Good luck.