Don't Be Afraid

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I had an awesome conversation with one of my friends recently that led to us talking about our fear of looking stupid. The conclusion that we came to was that if you actually want something, you need to go out and get it. In this day and age people are so afraid of being judged and making a fool of themselves that they let that stop them from getting what they really want. They are content with settling because they cannot stand the idea of putting themselves out there. We should not let our fear stop us from getting what we want.

Oddly enough, I also finished a book that dealt with this same idea. Spencer Johnson's "Who Moved My Cheese?" tells the story of four fictional characters who have to adjust to change in their lives. It's a quick read (93 pages) and I recommend it to everyone. (I seriously finished it in like 30 minutes, take the time!) The"cheese" mentioned in the title is an allegorical representation of whatever it is we want in life, typically thought of as success and happiness. The story focuses on the characters adjusting to change in their life as they try to find their "cheese."Although accepting and dealing with change is the main point of this book, the idea that stuck out to me was what we would do if we weren't afraid. If we weren't afraid, we would accept change. We would put ourselves out there. And I think that's an important part of life. 

The author of this book poses an important question and it relates back to the conversation with my friend: 

"What would you do if you weren't afraid?"

If we ask ourselves this and force ourselves to step out of our comfort zone, our lives would be entirely different. We would be happier. We would face disappointment, yes, but in the long run, we would get what we want. Don't be afraid to go for it-- whatever it is.

"Far better it is to dare mighty things, to win glorious triumphs, even though checkered by failure, than to take rank with those poor spirits who neither enjoy much nor suffer much, because they live in the gray twilight that knows neither victory nor defeat."
Theodore Roosevelt, Strenuous Life


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