DAY #52 SO WHAT

So What Saturday.

I was re-listening to the podcast on FEAR. I was surprised how much more I got out of the episode, the second time. I thought I enjoyed it fully the first time. Here are some (more) favorite quotes:

“If you aren’t experiencing fear and you’re not having to use courage, you aren’t asking enough of yourself.”

What?! Yes! Got that?

“When I’m afraid of being rejected, when I’m afraid of failing, I acknowledge that that’s normal, I acknowledge that that’s my brain doing what my brain was designed to do. I also acknowledge that all I need is to utilize the other thing that I got as a human – courage…

When you are willing to feel a negative emotion, (that’s) a positive experience.”

Brooke talked about not being so quick to move ourselves out of “uncomfortable”, into “comfortable”.

So what? So I tried it. I thought of an uncomfortable – even a bit scary – experience for me. And I moved toward it today. I asked that of myself today. And when I was in that experience, I didn’t look for the first out. I stayed with it. I sat with the discomfort. I looked it in the eye – not in defiance at all, but in curiosity and even desire for a better relationship with myself. And when I shared the experience with Bryant later, he said, “So, you had a positive experience.” Yes. Yes I did.

Fear is just an emotion. If we pile a second emotion on top of fear, that bends us out of shape.

I fear __________________. I don’t need to be angry that that thing is scary or that I’m being asked to do a scary thing. I don’t need to be anxious or stressed that that thing is scary. I don’t even need to be embarrassed that that I fear that thing.

“Fear is a natural part of the human experience. Embrace it, let it be part of your experience. But do not let it hold you back.”