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Feel the Fear and Do it Anyways

/ suefraser / 4 Comments

We’ve all felt fear at some point and time in our lives. Whether it be when we took our first attempt to ride a bicycle when we were little. Fearing of falling over and scraping our hands and knees, yet trusting our daddy would prevent this from happening.

The fear of not being accepted in that popular group of kids, when attending the first day of school when you were the new kid in town. The fear of flying in an airplane for the very first time, that was taking you to a amazing destination you so badly wanted to explore.

The fear of being alone, the fear of connecting, the fear of abandonment, the fear of failure and success, the fear of being fully alive, the fear of loss, the fear of trying something new, the fear of beginning a new chapter in life, the fear of loving and the list goes on and on. Not one person is exempt from feeling the extremity of fear.

But did you know, that fear can be healthy? It is programmed into our nervous system, and gives us the survival instincts you need to keep yourself safe from many forms of danger.

Fear is unhealthy when it makes you more cautious than you really need to be, to stay safe, and when it prevents you from doing things you would otherwise enjoy.

Why not face your fears to succeed or fail?

When we have loved and lost, or tried and failed, we may fear opening ourselves up to a painful competitive experience again. 

When we have succeeded or won—possibly at someone else’s expense—we may experience guilt, or fear retaliation. 

Thus many of us learn to hold back in love and life, thereby not risking either failure or success. 

We may feel the world does not allow us to be fulfilled.  Or we may feel guilty and afraid for feeling fulfilled.

We sometimes get hung up, from the fear of the possibility of being injured, whether physically or emotionally from the things we wish to endeavor.

We fear the knowing that we may fall to the ground, to our lowest point of failure, and have to face ourselves in getting back up to try in earnest again, sometimes trying over and over and over again.

Knowing full well, others may critically judge us. But the judgement of others, should never matter.

Take a step forward, and face your fears. Avoiding fears only makes them scarier. Whatever your fear, if you face it, it should start to fade.

Close your eyes and visualize the complete scenario of the fear that you are avoiding. Feel each and every sensation. Play the movie in your mind of the outcome you’d love to have.

Feel it. Hear it. See it. Believe it. Then do it!

When we practice this visualization continuously and repetitively, and then take the step forward, face the fear, that’s when the real miracles begin to take shape. The fear dissipates, and we rise to conquer all things in our lives, one fear at a time.

And remember, when you have faced that fear, whatever it is, jump for joy and be celebrated by others.

Life is full of stresses, yet many of us feel that our lives must be perfect. Bad days and setbacks will always happen, and it’s important to remember that life is messy.

Feel the fear and do it anyways.

Thank you for following along on my blog. If you’ve enjoyed it let me know and share it with a friend.

All the photos I have inserted, are my work, making memories one click at a time.

From Home on the Ranch

Sue

P.S. “Being brave isn’t the absence of fear. Being brave is having that fear but finding a way through it.” Bear Grylls

You Can’t Change the Seasons, but you Can Change Yourself.

/ suefraser / 16 Comments

Seasons, come and seasons go. The days, weeks, months and years pass by. April showers are to bring May flowers they say.

Today, as I look out the window, I see big beautiful fluffy snowflakes floating down from the fully overcast sky. Everything outside is white again. The bows of the trees are hanging low, the animals are taking cover, and the temperature is sitting at a mild 2 degrees celsius.

It is nothing that we haven’t seen before here in central Alberta Canada throughout our spring months. Actually, it is very welcoming moisture on our land, as the ground has been fairly dry the last year or two.

I remember years ago, being told from an older person than I, (most likely close to the age I am today), that even though our bodies that we live within, begin to wear down, our minds continue to remain young. Back then, I didn’t understand what that meant.

Today, I truly understand what that person was saying. At the age of 57, I look back on the years of my life, and smile at some of my past experiences that today, has helped me to make changes in what I would choose to do moving forward.

Back when I was a teenager, I was an athlete that competed in track and field, and basketball. Running long distances was my forte. I was positioned at the starting line, along with several other gals my age. Waiting anxiously and nervously at the same time for the sound of the air gun to go off. BAM! “And they’re off!”

We hadn’t gotten very far, when I got tripped up in amongst my competitors. Down I went, with my knees and palms of my hands kissing the rough laden asphalt. The girls continued on. And I………..didn’t get up. At least, not to keep running.

I’ve never forgotten that moment. Not because of the blood on my body caused by the scrapes I endured. Nor the embarrassment of a young adolescent in front of her peers. What I have taken from that moment and utilized over the years, is that no matter how hard you fall, no matter how difficult the situation, one needs to get up, dust yourself off, and continue on.

I’ve opened the closet door, unpacked my dusty camera bag, charged the batteries, cleaned the lenses, and decided it’s time for some changes in my life. I never thought of me to be a professional photographer from years gone by, but an amatuer that loved to tell a story through the lens.

Who knows where photography will take me, but if I never make the change to begin, nothing will ever change. Here are just a few of my favorite shots taken at a Skijoring Event nearby just a few weeks ago.

Are there things in your life you’d like to change? Consider taking that step to begin the dream you’ve always dreamt.

From Home on the Ranch

Sue

“When we are no longer able to change a situation…….we are challenged to change ourselves.” Viktor E. Frankl