A.B.S. #7 - Monday Motivation #3 - Facing Fear
In this short blog post I will go over a few examples of fearful experiences I've personally experienced in my life and the right mindset you have to have to be able to overcome all sort of fears.
If one can come to understand that Fear and Courage are both some side of the same line. Just as Love and Hate are on the same line, then one can learn to go through fear as it's an act of courage.
What one fears is usually the thing that person should do or experience.
When I was 16 years old I had only recently lost almost 40 lbs and was in very good shape and continued to work out even harder going in to 17 years old, when 2 days after I turned 17, on the Marine Corps Birthday, I joined the Marines Corps with the signature of my grandparents. This was an extremely fearful experience for me. I was always the youngest doing just about everything in my life. There I was, in the MEPS office, starting at a sign reading you'll owe the government 250,000 dollars for lying (and I had lied about never having asthma) and was just scared. Didn't speak much but I took actions anyways.
At 17 years old the recruiter picked me up from my house and I waved goodbye to my family and set forth to make the journey they call bootcamp alone. If this isn't fear, I don't know what is.
Every day for 3 months you face fear. Go talk to a Marine Corps drill instructor and you'll be talking in to fear itself.
After becoming a Marine at 17 I decided I can pretty much do anything.
I joined a fraternity in college, that was a big jump of courage for me to get out of my video game and internal world and become social. It definitely opened my eyes to more about myself and faced many socially awkward situations along that journey but made me who I am today, always socially awkward ;] haha
One more little remark about fear I wanted to mention before I leave you with a final inspiring words of wisdom.
Many people live life with their family, in their "womb" if you will. They feel safe here, have friends, comforts, know everyone and shop at the same grocery stores... Then you go to college or you go to military or stay at home. You're still with like minded people in a generally organized setting here. Then after college or military maybe you enter the work force where you most likely have fellow employees in a generally organized work environment.
Most people tend to remain in some sort of "womb" if you will. Where they feel comfortable, within their domain.
I witness so many people upset and sad that stay in the same situation and could be so much happier if they just leave the situation but the fear of the unknown is more powerful of a force on them compared to the convenience of routine and comfortabality
People need to test themselves more, you can do SO MUCH MORE then even you think you can. Give yourself HARD goals and make small steps everyday to achieve those goals and watch as you do. Employ discipline, face fear, and water the seeds as they grow in to beautiful plants with tons of effort and energy after a long time watering.
Fear is an indicator that you are getting closer to your personal legend. Face your fears, I PROMISE you will not die pursuing your fears (within reason) and will live to tell the experience, and even if you fail, you'll now have more experience to succeed the next time! Be patient with yourself and keep fighting the good fight, battling resistance, and looking fear directly in the eyes every day and say the it, "NOT TODAY BITCH!"
Cheers,
Ty Stevenson