"Each time we face our fear, we gain strength, courage, and confidence in the doing."
- Unknown
When there's talk of a new undertaking, I believe it's natural to have some fear or at least some apprehension. I'm a creature of comfort and I take comfort in the familiar. So when I'm faced with doing something I've never done before, I begin to think of the things that could go wrong. What if, in doing something, I make a mistake? I mess things up? I hurt myself or others? I let someone down? I fail?
How often are things avoided or not attempted because of the "what if" fears? I think it's more common for people to fight to maintain the status quo because they're scared to venture into the unknown. What about asking yourself if, in NOT doing something, you could be taking those same (or bigger) risks.
I will admit that there are times when I'll avoid doing things. I've had things on my "To Do" list for months (or even longer) because I just haven't wanted to deal with them. But there's a qualitative difference between this and the fear-driven avoidances.
Truth be told, one reason why I might not venture into the unknown is because I'm afraid of what others might think. What if they see my efforts and judge me based on them? What if they see me fail? I know that the opinions of others shouldn't matter, but sometimes I can't help myself.
Even if I'm not happy with current circumstances, it may feel "safer" to stay with the devil I know as opposed to the devil I don't. But isn't that resigning myself to an arrangement that's unsatisfactory? That's kind of depressing to think about. Instead, I want to think about the opportunities that the new endeavors may offer.
When I start feeling those nagging fears, I'll take a deep breath and ask myself what's going on. Can I identify the underlying themes at play here? What could be gained as opposed to what could be risked? More often than not, I've learned that facing my fears has opened up more opportunities than I could have believed.
Keep in mind that one of the things I'm most afraid of is failing. As I've mentioned before, I'm a perfectionist. No matter what I do, it never seems to be good enough. That's what pushes me to take things to the next level. I may be afraid to undertake something because I'm worried that I won't be able to do it well enough (whatever that's supposed to mean). But once I take that first step, I'm invested. If I pick up a book, it takes A LOT for me to put it aside without finishing it. In fact, I can think of only two occasions where this has occurred.
When I set a goal for myself, I intend to reach it. If I'm on the elliptical and I decide to workout for 60 minutes, I'll be on there for the full 60 minutes. Anything less will feel as though it "doesn't count" - even 58 minutes. When my trainer gives me a set of 10-12 reps, I'll be pushing for the full 12. And if he tells me that 10 is enough, I insist that I've got 2 more and try my hardest to get those last 2 reps in there.
I may be afraid, but I'll still try. I've got too much to gain and nothing to lose. And, please don't tell me I can't do something - I'll just have to prove you wrong.
"You miss 100% of the shots you don't take."
- Wayne Gretzky
Food Log:
- Meal 1
- 2 egg whites with peppers, onions, and salsa
- 40g oatmeal
- Meal 2
- BIG salad
- 2 tablespoons of salad dressing
- 3oz chicken
- Meal 3
- Apple
- Light cheese
- 1oz almonds
- Meal 4
- 3oz chicken
- Green beans
- 2 tablespoons of salad dressing
- 40g oatmeal
- Tablespoon of peanut butter
Exercise:
- Time: 90 minutes on elliptical
- Level: Level 1 for 1 minute, Level 4 for 88 minutes, Level 1 for 1 minute
- Calories: 850+
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