Fear.
I don’t care who you are or where you come from, we all struggle with various fears on a daily basis. It’s one thing that unites us all, but it’s also something we don’t talk about very often. Instead, we often hear much more about hate, anger, jealousy, and criticism which only further leads to more fear. What if we just started talking more about what scares us?
Fear can be crippling. As someone who has suffered from chronic anxiety my entire life, I know that all too well. If left unchallenged, our fears can multiply. I personally fear failure, mistakes, judgment, health of myself and loved ones, not being worthy or deserving, disappointing myself and others. I even fear that I won’t be able to overcome my fears. Sometimes fears are on a smaller scale, but they seem difficult nonetheless – going out to see friends, making a difficult phone call, or getting back into an old sport. Fear can be motivating, “Oh I don’t want to mess up my speech, so I’m going to practice every day this week.” or demotivating, “I messed up and feel like an idiot, so I won’t make myself vulnerable again.”
Because of our fears and in spite of our fears, I’m making a special challenge for the month of August. This month I’m personally challenging myself and any of you who are interested to take control of our fears, whatever they may be!
From the wise words of Eleanor Roosevelt, my challenge for August is to do one thing a day that scares you.
The beauty of this challenge is that YOU define it. You make the rules and decide what is challenging for you. We all know ourselves better than anyone and it’s up to us to define this challenge in a way that meets our own needs.
I currently have some things in my life that are holding me back and I’ll be working daily this month to challenge fears and negativity and make room for personal growth.
To keep myself accountable, I’m logging my daily feats on a calendar each day. By the end of the month, I’ll hopefully have a log of large and small fears that I overcame. The end result is intended to build confidence, inspire new personal challenges, and remind ourselves that we are more powerful than we know.
How to participate
As always, let me know in the comments if you’d like to join in! I’d love to hear about what fears you’ve overcome all month long, so feel free to leave a note on my blog or Facebook page and tell me about it. If you write a recap at the end of the month on your blog and send it to me, I will try to compile all of the links in a post so others can read about your journey too. I’d love to hear about your experiences!
Last but not least, here are some quotes on fear to get us inspired: (source)
“There are two basic motivating forces: fear and love. When we are afraid, we pull back from life. When we are in love, we open to all that life has to offer with passion, excitement, and acceptance. We need to learn to love ourselves first, in all our glory and our imperfections. If we cannot love ourselves, we cannot fully open to our ability to love others or our potential to create. Evolution and all hopes for a better world rest in the fearlessness and open-hearted vision of people who embrace life.”
― John Lennon“Expose yourself to your deepest fear; after that, fear has no power, and the fear of freedom shrinks and vanishes. You are free.”
― Jim Morrison“Nothing in life is to be feared, it is only to be understood. Now is the time to understand more, so that we may fear less.”
― Marie Curie“Don’t be afraid of your fears. They’re not there to scare you. They’re there to let you know that something is worth it.”
― C. JoyBell C.
For more inspiring quotes, see my quote page.
If you are looking for more personal work, my Gratitude Challenge, could work hand in hand with this month’s challenge.
Here’s to August!
You can count me in! I’m a shy girl, and fear wins most of the time. I graduated from CSNN (Natural Nutrition School) about a year ago with an interest to pursue my own practice, or anything related to the nutrition field, and here I am still working at a gym as a receptionist. I think I’ve been working there for 4 or 5 years now. I really need to get out of my comfort zone..
Thank you for this :)
Life of fear-
For many years I have really struggled with weight. I grew being told that I was FAT and STUPID. So last year when I had finally lost 50 pounds and had 40 to go, the unthinkable happen for us. We got Pregnant. I had no idea I was pregnant for 21 weeks of it. We had a HUGE move and I had stopped working out. So I thought ” crap I am getting FAT again! ”
After years of trying for a baby and losing 1, we adopted last year. Many say thats why it happen. But the hardest part was I was over EVER being pregnant. I had my baby and Adoption was great for me. I got the prize with out the getting HUGE part. Well now I am HUGE and gained almost 40 pounds and due in 3 weeks.
I have not enjoyed this process at all. I FEAR the delivery and the pain. My anxiety is so bad that I haven’t celebrated the journey at all. My family just keeps saying..” you should be all rainbows and smiles and on cloud 9. Your not as fat now you have a baby growing.” But how can I switch from thinking I am Fat when I was this big just 2 years ago and I fought so hard for so long. I FEAR I will struggle to get the weight off and that I will always be FAT.
So this month this challenge couldn’t of become at a better time. Every day I will pick what scares me that day and deal with it. Tonight is my baby shower, Time to try to get excited about Pain.
Hi Samantha,
Good luck with your upcoming delivery. Many women struggle with this fear, it is the fear of the unknown. But, you can look at all of the mommas out there and know that they made it through delivery- you will too. It may not be easy, but you can do it!! Women’s bodies are designed with birthing in mind!
As far as the weight anxiety – I would recommend this book. I sat down and read this book cover-to-cover without stopping – it is fascinating and I think it will provide you with some peace :)
http://www.lindabacon.org/HAESbook/
Joy to you!
Check out to blog or Facebook page birth without fear. Great empowering information!
Love this. Count me in! Fear has been holding me back in a lot of ways, and I am just now realizing it.
Great Challenge idea. I need someone to really push me into doing some of the things I’m terrified of. I definitely have had some serious anxiety issues over the years, and I’ve just begun really wanting to deal with them, so this challenge comes at the perfect time.
This is a good idea. I’m in!
Today’s first challenge is a big one for me: Visiting a daycare for the first time for my son. What to ask? What to look for? How to act? How to impress? A lot of unknown for a first time mom. Here we go…
I read this post and smiled! I recently started a blog called Fun Fearful Female & was going to issue this exact same challenge to myself and my readers in August. Great minds think alike, right? I’ve loved following you on your journey & look forward to hearing more about how you’re challenging your fears this month. Cheers to overcoming fears! :)
Angela, this couldn’t have come at a better time for me. I’ve struggled with massive anxiety for the majority of my life (of the main “If I can’t be perfect and just completely outstanding in absolutely everyone’s eyes then I might as well not even do it at all” type). I decided in May to leave a job that was the latest in a long line of advancing positions in the field I thought was perfect for me and would give me the life I wanted and needed. After using the time off to get back to the small things that keep me sane (running, yoga, baking, etc.), I’ve decided to finish school and rebuild my life from the small, important things up, rather than from the large, amorphous things down. I finally figured out that it’s probably better to do the things that make me happy every day than it is to have things I think I want, and beat myself up because I can’t find the time to do the things I love. All that said, classes start in ~3 weeks – I’m excited! But fearful – that my chronic anxiety will again take over and I won’t be the best me I can be, that my recovered workout and healthy eating routine will be what falls by the wayside as I fit classes, studying, and work back into my daily schedule, that I won’t be magnificently talented at the field I hope to pursue (personal writing/cultural journalism – or something along those lines), and the oddest fear I can name, that I will continue to be fearful and not take the risks necessary to succeed and be the outstanding person I believe I am. Thank you thank you thank you for being somehow telepathically connected to me and posing this challenge for August of 2012, just when I need it. I’ll try to keep you updated :D
I like this post. Funny timing too.. I recently became aware of my ability to sabotage positive opportunities that I’ve had, just because a small aspect of them seems really scary to me.. so I flake out and avoid the situation. It’s a good reminder that I need to be helping myself with my struggles. If something scares me, it’s so easy to turn the other way and avoid it, but I can’t live my life doing that and unfortunately I won’t be able to conquer my dreams if I do that. :)
Thanks for posting this!! FYI it sounds like we have a lot in common when it comes to this issue.
What a great idea! But I’m scared to do it! More reason to join the challenge :) I love the feeling of facing a fear. You feel so much weight lifted off your shoulders.
Angela – I adore this post and the challenge! I just can’t do anything more food-related, my routine is tricky enough!
There are definitely areas I need to step out of my comfort zone and take some risks. I signed up for a distance learning course for nutrition and I have been petrified to open the books I received over a month ago! I have a huge fear of failure, I haven’t been in school for over 15 years and wasn’t a very good student either… nutrition has become a passion so it’s time to dive in, crack open those books and continue pursuing it :)
Hi Christa,
A few years ago I made the very scary decision to switch from a liberal arts major to dietetics in order to pursue my passion for nutrition. I was never particularly strong in science and terrified of the courses. But I jumped in …now I’ve just graduated and i’m about to start my internship to be an RD. I know i’ve found my path. Keep fighting for yours it’s worth it :)
<3 Amy
wonderfully timed, beautifully presented.. i will be logging on my iphone. what a perfect time to go to costa rica in 2 days : ) thanks angela!
shelby
This is exciting! I can always use some extra self help! Recently I was forced to pull my special needs son out of public school based on how badly it was hurting him emotionally. My fear is not being disciplined enough to teach him at home and the challenges that will arise. I will start this challenge by writing out our schedule and by researching new curriculum to help me with him.
I can’t wait to think up all the fears I want to face this month.
Thank you
Alicia,
Good luck on your journey. There are homeschooling support groups which may be of help, you may want to research some in your area.
I love this idea and especially like the quote from joybell. I also like what you said about fear sometimes being a good thing, but sometimes being a bad thing. That is so true.
Your challenge (and past personal challenges) is the catalyst I need to officially set my own goal of fighting my eating disorder-related fears this month. I go back to university a month from now and this is my chance to really face the anxieties and discomforts I have with weight, exercise, binges, calorie counting etc. (extensive etc. ha) before moving in with six people who don’t know my issues. Thanks, Angela, you’re definitely an inspiration and a role model of mine.
That sounds like such a great idea! I have found myself becoming more anxious as I get older and it is freaking me out which makes me more anxious! I’m looking forward to pushing myself and seeing what you will do to overcome your fears this month! Good luck and empowerment to us all!
Nice challenge! I just blogged about learning to swim, something that always makes me uncomfortable (but Jillian Michaels always says to be comfortable with being uncomfortable). Planning my wedding also scares me, but must be done. I even get scared when I push myself too hard during a workout… ha ha.
I am definitely in! I am dealing with resentments and fears in therapy right now, and it’s amazing how hand-in-hand those two things go! My therapist has me keeping a list in a journal – my fears “page” is 5 pages long (my strengths page is 5 lines long, just to show you how far down the rabbit hole I am!) I am going to spend the month at home and in therapy digging into my fear of failure (and, ironically, success), my fear of my body/weight issues, and my co-dependency. Thank you for this!
I’m definitely in! I need to take some time and think of something I fear to challenge myself by this month.
what a great post! so true — fear can paralyze us — I’m with ya!
I’m in! I have a fear of failure. It holds me back from a lot of superficial things and not-so-superficial things. I’m going to start writing a book. I read tons and tons of books and sometimes I think, I can write better than that. But deep down I’m not sure. I certainly don’t expect to be published, but I need a creative outlet and I want to give it an honest try. If nothing comes out on a page, then at least I tried.