Life can go in so many different directions, perhaps we should just assume peaks and valleys to be the norm. Consider life as the 'beep, beep, beep' of an EKG: Do you really want it to be straight? Fear is manageable and does not have to dictate your actions. I often see friends fight the invisible foe of fear when they would find much more peace from another choice.
They allow themselves to get so caught up with the “what if-s” of life that they totally miss the beautiful day they could be living. Why may never happen to upset you today? As Susan Jeffers discusses in her book, Feel the Fear and Do It Anyway, the secret often lies in how we interpret the fear we feel. She advocates recognizing that we have a choice to consider fear as an unavoidable part of life or allow ourselves to be paralyzed by it. We often forget that we can make different decisions if the original ones do not feel right. Life is an adventure and navigating it can often be a bit scary. Fear does not have to mean 'don’t do it,' it can mean 'push through it.' Like a cloud floating in front of you, acknowledge it is there and let it float by. Positive visualization can be very powerful.
I have a friend who was considering divorce but was too afraid to move forward with it. She was “stuck” and her resent toward her husband grew. She finally realized that she would never be able to grow in her current relationship and went through with the divorce. Her life opened up and she was able to get into a supportive partnership with someone else. With a strong, loving base to work from, she can now live her life true to who she is and grow in partnership with another person.
Jeffers points out that when making decisions, there is not a “good” and “bad” choice, there is only one choice versus another choice. It is much easier to take action when you don’t look at the outcomes as good and bad, only A versus B. Expect good to come from either path. Beliefs and expectations are the foundation upon which we build our peaceful life.
"Don't wish me happiness
I don't expect to be happy all the time...
It's gotten beyond that somehow.
Wish me courage and strength and a sense of humor.
I will need them all."
-Anne Morrow Lindbergh
