Have you ever felt crippling fear creep over you as you belly up to the table to start or finish a big project? How many times have you talked yourself out of training for that race, visiting that new business, or finishing that degree? I’ve been there. My fear and anxiety have cost me time, money and experiences!
Maybe you’ve been talking yourself out of making that business idea a reality, because what if you can’t do it? Or what if you DO actually do it and people notice you doing it poorly and all uncoordinated and making mistakes? Or worse yet, what if you DO actually manage to do the thing, and now there’s an audience present who might watch you fail?!!!!!! Ugh, SAME!
My husband and I love doing races together, and we have done several over the years. (PS> Sharing adventures and challenges with your spouse is one of the THREE SECRETS to a happy and UNBREAKABLE MARRIAGE).
Still, every single time I grab hold of the first monkey bar, self-doubt rushes over me and I think “omg there’s no way I’m gonna make it.”
At the Spartan races it seems like they have the biggest monkey bars. My fingers only go halfway around the huge bars and the massive gaps between them make it an even harder obstacle to maneuver.
I know that I can’t hold onto the previous one and reach for the next – I have to LET GO of the bar I’m leaving behind, which is scary.
They are so high off the ground that I have to have help to reach the first bar. Swinging from that high makes me nervous and nauseous, because I know if I fall it’s going to be several seconds before my feet (or rear end) hit the ground.
So, I do it scared. No matter how much I train, this is one of those obstacles I have to just do scared.
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DO IT SCARED
Whatever “it” is for you, do it scared. Feel the fear; then force yourself to MOVE ANYWAY. Remember, you cannot move forward to the next level, unless you let go of what you are leaving behind. You might have to have help along the way. You might be nervous and nauseous from the anxiety and fear. Do it anyways.
Finally deciding to publish this blog, was definitely something I had to just do scared! I decided fast was better than never, done was better than perfect, and authentic was better than polished. So, here I am making all the mistakes and learning as I go. If you are thinking of starting a blog and you want to receive email updates of what courses are working (and what ones aren’t worth the time), as well as lessons I am learning the hard way sign up for this very honest and unpolished newsletter from a fellow rookie.
What will it take?
That first jump will have to be explosive and take almost all your energy. You’re going to have to stretch and swing yourself to uncomfortable lengths to cover the gaps. Sometimes you will feel your grip slipping and weakening during the natural pauses because your tired, the elements are working against you and it’s cold and wet, and you’re struggling to even get your hands around the very tools that are supposed to get you to the end goal. Oh and by the way, you know that you fall – it’s going to hurt. Do it scared anyways.
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BUT what if you just go for it? What if you take a deep breath, brace your core, and make the next move towards your goal?!
What if you celebrated yourself for being strong enough to hold on and push thru that one step, then you took a deep breath and moved again?
What if you found out that the process is maybe even a little bit FUN?!
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Sure, you might slip and fall, and it might leave you filthy, ashamed, and injured… BUT you will be stronger because of it and ready to try again. The lessons we learn in all the moments we fail or succeed leading up to our goal are what matters anyways. As your confidence grows and you become surer of yourself, your core values get strengthened, and you get a better grip on what it takes to achieve success.
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You know what else might happen?! You might just surprise yourself. It’s very likely that you have had what it takes all along, you were just too scared to try. You are strong. You are smart. You are resilient. And you are capable of GREAT things. Don’t you dare give up on yourself before you have even had a chance to start.
Today is the day. This is your moment. Line up under the bar, lift your hands, brace your core, and jump!
Happiness is always on tap, my friend. Go find the spout and fill up.
xoxo Carmen
I can feel it.
I am slipping into new skin.
More vulnerability.
More divine femininity.
Relinquishing my inhibitions.
Awakening an expansive creativity
and ambitiously manifesting my desires.
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