Do It Afraid
How much does a bird sing? As much as it can.
How high does an eagle soar? As high as it can.
How big does a tree grow? As big as it can.
And what about us? How much do we sing, soar, or grow?
Not nearly enough.
This tendency to sell ourselves short can be especially prevalent during transitional times when life presents us with unique opportunities to spread our wings. Many of us are there right now. Be it in work, relationships, housing, or even lifestyles, we stand at the portal between the life we have known and something new, different, desired. Some of us will walk through that next door. But sadly, many will not. We will, instead, look for and try to maintain the “same old, same old.”
Once again, this is fear dictating what we will or will not do; fears which keep us firmly rooted in what’s familiar. After all, the familiar feels safe, even when it may not be. It feels right, even when it hasn't really been right for a long time.
When life presents opportunities to choose a new direction, it is always good to pay attention and to do some healthy discernment. We might ask ourselves questions such as, "Does the path I'm wanting to embark upon involve running away from something or moving towards something? Is it another life distraction or is it in alignment with what I sincerely want? Am I making this choice because I think I need to prove something or live up to somebody else's expectations? Or is it in keeping with my own authentic heart's desires?"
When our motives are genuine, we are much better able to examine any fears that may pop up. It might be that our proposed change or choice is igniting and tapping into old fears which are no longer relevant! That is important information. It is also helpful to "follow our fear through." In other words, what would happen if the worst outcome occurred; the relationship ends, the house falls through, the new boss is even more difficult than the old one, we deplete our savings, or nobody likes our work? Would we survive? YES, WE WOULD. It is only our projected fear of failure, or of not surviving, or of somehow being "wrong," that keeps our wings clipped, our songs silenced, our hearts closed tight, and our growth stunted.
The only way to get beyond these fears is to risk taking action. Personally, I learned a long time ago that if I waited for the fear to be gone before doing what I really felt called to do, I would still be waiting.....and waiting. So my motto became "DO IT AFRAID." What I discovered was this: It was only by "doing things afraid," that I ultimately developed confidence in my choices and abilities. It was only by "doing it afraid" that I came to fully realize that faith is not the absence of fear; faith is fear that says its prayers and then does the next right thing despite the fear.
Are you at a place where it is time to "chirp or get off the twig?" What dreams or desires within you want to burst out in song or be given wings to soar? What opportunities are being presented for your greater growth or expression? Pay attention. Honor the call. Step over the fear. Suit up and show up. Do it afraid. Go for it. After all, life is short. And as the saying goes, "what I do with today is important because I'm exchanging a day of my life for it."
