On Fear and Living a Full Life …

I am afraid of a lot of things: flying, thunderstorms, tornadoes, disapproval, new experiences, heights, centipedes, wasps, tight spaces, being hurt, being rejected, Internet banking, bears, junebugs, dark alleys, strange sounds in the woods at night and riding my bicycle, to name a few.

Lately I’ve been pondering my fears and how they affect my life experiences – in particular how they might be preventing me from living them to the fullest. Although some fears may be healthy (fear of tornadoes, fear of dark alleys), and I’ve come a long way in overcoming some past fears (fear of driving!), I am starting to feel that some of my current ones are holding me back.

A small but growing voice inside of me is expressing a desire – or at least a curiosity – to travel, explore and engage fully in all facets of life, whether that means flying to Paris, reaching out to strangers or riding my bike to the store.

Perhaps, one day at a time, fear of missing out on life will trump the rest of my fears and push me to overcome them. And perhaps, one day after that, the desire to experience life to the fullest will no longer stem from a fear of missing out on it, but from a desire to embrace all it has to offer. Hm. Maybe I'll ponder that for a while.