Dive Right Into Fear

Yep, that's right. Dive right in! Dont just dip your toe in the water and then shrink away when it feels chilly. No! The way to do it is to dive right in! And what happens once you're in? The water's not so chilly. You're splashing around and having fun. And the next thing you know, you're urging everyone else to c'mon in. You're telling them not to be babies about it - "Just dive in; you'll be glad you did!" Yes, but that's with swimming. That's not the way to handle fear and anxiety, you say. Well... I'm not so sure about that. Fear and anxiety swirl around us, pestering us, never letting us have a moment's peace and quiet. They are all-absorbing when we're in the midst of them. There is no release by just staying safely on the edge of the pool with only your feet dangling over the edge. Nope. The only way to release that fear is to jump right into it. What things in your life were initially fraught with fear and anxiety that, in hindsight, you realize were not-so-scary-after-all, once you got through to the other side? In my own life, there have been many instances of this. I'm now able to see that when I feel fear and anxiety that there is MORE to it. The fear and anxiety are just one aspect. If I choose to see "around" the fear, I can see that there is also excitement and maybe some new opportunity for growth. Oooh, scary AND good. Scary AND exciting. Scary AND do-able. Hmmmm. Fear and anxiety don't need to signal "Stop! Do not venture forward! Enter at your own risk!" As we open ourselves up to feel the fear and anxiety, we can begin to feel the other emotions associated with the-scary-thing-that-shall-not-be-named. Ah, and then we see that we have options. We are powerful. We are survivors. We are strong. We are capable. Oh, and guess what? We've been through this type of thing before AND we've lived to tell the tale! Remind yourself of that the next time you begin to worry or feel afraid of what's next. And then dive right into the anxiety, the worry, the fear. Use some AND statements to free yourself. What powerful "AND" statements can you use in your life when you're feeling fear and anxiety? I feel afraid AND ______ I feel anxious AND _______ I feel scared AND ________ I'm worried, anxious, AND also a bit __________ Once you've done that, you can move forward and make a better decision. You can move forward and take a positive step. You can move forward and grow. Dive right in and you'll discover that "the water's just fine."