I remember about four years ago, there was a long span of me just being afraid of everything. I would think things, but would never dare say them aloud for fear of judgement. I would want to try something new, but be scared that I would mess up, or embarrass myself. This fear ran pretty deep. I didn't even want to pursue the career that I always wanted, because I was too terrified. But luckily, I shook that fear. I wanted to blog about fear from both the spiritual side (for those who believe) and the non-spiritual side (for those who just wanna address it that way). Because nothing should ever have that much power over you, especially a silly emotion like fear.
Non-spiritual: If you invented tampons, but you were too shy to tell people about this product, because of embarrassment, you'd be pretty upset at how much money you missed out on. That's what fear creates, missed opportunities. The girl you never said 'hi' to is a date you missed out on that could've ended in a great friendship or a marriage. The job you never applied to because you didn't think you were "good enough" (fear of your own success), could've landed you a great career. So whenever you have that scared feeling, just do it anyway.
Seriously, I do crazy stuff all the time, not because I'm a nut case (which is still questionable), but because I don't want to ever look back and say, "ah, I didn't even try". And at first these things rendered a lot of embarrassment. This is when I had to change the way I felt about embarrassment. No one can embarrass you if you don't allow them to. You have all the power, because it's all in your reaction. For instance, in the past if someone told me my feet were ashy I'd hide them in shame and count down the minutes 'til I could get home and throw on some lotion. But now, I just laugh and say what literally happened "Oh, I guess I forgot to grease my feet".
Yes, there are times when people are trying to embarrass you. They might even try to embarrass you in front of a crowd. I take the "Saying What I'm Thinking/ I Know What You're Doing" approach. My grandma's professor always makes people feel stupid if they have to ask a question or miss something she says. My grandma asked her a question and her professor replies in a loud voice, "I just said that, do you want me to write it on the board again?". Of course my grandma was embarrassed, that was the teacher's goal. I suggested to my grandma the approach I stated above. I would literally say "Are you trying to embarrass me? That wasn't very nice". It puts in the air that you know what they're trying, but they don't have the power over your emotions. It took me years to figure this out, as I was often teased as a child. (boo hoo. lol)
Spiritual: Fear is an attack on your talents and gifts from God. When you feel paralyzed by fear, it is literally the enemy holding you back, decreasing the happiness in your life. When I thought I'd never get on stage again, I was so unhappy. I felt a lump in my throat whenever I saw a play, because I knew that there was my passion in front of my face, but I couldn't do it. I was weakened by my fear. It started to take over. But now I am strong, and being on stage is the career path I've chosen. My assumption? The Devil knows I can excel and if he didn't try to stomp on me, I would succeed and give God the glory and that's not what he wants at all. For people that believe in God and His power, there is no such thing as fear. How can you have fear when you are backed by the most powerful being ever? So attack everything boldly and with God's help.
Why am I writing this article?
In college I was diagnosed with an anxiety disorder. This was a relief and a challenge all in one. It was a relief, because I finally understood why I was afraid of everything! I felt like I literally couldn't do a lot of social activities or everyday things. I was afraid I'd be embarrassed or die because of some unknown happening. But once I knew what was wrong with me, I knew I could overcome it. Doctors say you cannot cure anxiety disorders, only manage them. And it's true, there are still times when I'm just too scared to do something, but the difference between me then and now is I do it anyway. I know that things get easier with time.
So to randomly quote Incubus don't "let the fear take the wheel and steer". You control fear, not the other way around. Now go for it!
Non-spiritual: If you invented tampons, but you were too shy to tell people about this product, because of embarrassment, you'd be pretty upset at how much money you missed out on. That's what fear creates, missed opportunities. The girl you never said 'hi' to is a date you missed out on that could've ended in a great friendship or a marriage. The job you never applied to because you didn't think you were "good enough" (fear of your own success), could've landed you a great career. So whenever you have that scared feeling, just do it anyway.
Seriously, I do crazy stuff all the time, not because I'm a nut case (which is still questionable), but because I don't want to ever look back and say, "ah, I didn't even try". And at first these things rendered a lot of embarrassment. This is when I had to change the way I felt about embarrassment. No one can embarrass you if you don't allow them to. You have all the power, because it's all in your reaction. For instance, in the past if someone told me my feet were ashy I'd hide them in shame and count down the minutes 'til I could get home and throw on some lotion. But now, I just laugh and say what literally happened "Oh, I guess I forgot to grease my feet".
Yes, there are times when people are trying to embarrass you. They might even try to embarrass you in front of a crowd. I take the "Saying What I'm Thinking/ I Know What You're Doing" approach. My grandma's professor always makes people feel stupid if they have to ask a question or miss something she says. My grandma asked her a question and her professor replies in a loud voice, "I just said that, do you want me to write it on the board again?". Of course my grandma was embarrassed, that was the teacher's goal. I suggested to my grandma the approach I stated above. I would literally say "Are you trying to embarrass me? That wasn't very nice". It puts in the air that you know what they're trying, but they don't have the power over your emotions. It took me years to figure this out, as I was often teased as a child. (boo hoo. lol)
Spiritual: Fear is an attack on your talents and gifts from God. When you feel paralyzed by fear, it is literally the enemy holding you back, decreasing the happiness in your life. When I thought I'd never get on stage again, I was so unhappy. I felt a lump in my throat whenever I saw a play, because I knew that there was my passion in front of my face, but I couldn't do it. I was weakened by my fear. It started to take over. But now I am strong, and being on stage is the career path I've chosen. My assumption? The Devil knows I can excel and if he didn't try to stomp on me, I would succeed and give God the glory and that's not what he wants at all. For people that believe in God and His power, there is no such thing as fear. How can you have fear when you are backed by the most powerful being ever? So attack everything boldly and with God's help.
Why am I writing this article?
In college I was diagnosed with an anxiety disorder. This was a relief and a challenge all in one. It was a relief, because I finally understood why I was afraid of everything! I felt like I literally couldn't do a lot of social activities or everyday things. I was afraid I'd be embarrassed or die because of some unknown happening. But once I knew what was wrong with me, I knew I could overcome it. Doctors say you cannot cure anxiety disorders, only manage them. And it's true, there are still times when I'm just too scared to do something, but the difference between me then and now is I do it anyway. I know that things get easier with time.
So to randomly quote Incubus don't "let the fear take the wheel and steer". You control fear, not the other way around. Now go for it!
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