Take That Fear and Shove It

Fear sucks.

When I was younger, I was much more, though not completely, unafraid. I wasn't afraid to wear weird, second-hand clothes. My best friend and I used to comb thrift shops and see what we could score on our babysitting budget incomes. I rebelled against waste, people who tested on animals, and those who tried to tell me what to do. I had my senior pictures taken at Sears, refused to buy a gaudy class ring, and found my prom dress for $20 at a discount Macy's. We even went to the mall for pizza as our pre-prom dinner my senior year. I painted my car purple and didn't get drunk at high school parties. I was a vegetarian when it was weird to be a vegetarian. I left home at 18 and headed South, and didn't wait for the door to shut behind me I was in such a hurry. I've never liked cola--A true rebel, you get the idea.

Somewhere along the road though, my passion and anger, and desire to make things different turned into fear. Fear of "what other people might think". Fear of saying something wrong or offending someone or doing something stupid. Fear of calling attention to myself. Fear of not knowing what to do in "uncontrolled" circumstances. Sometimes it seems like the more comfortable we are in our lives, the harder it is to stand up.

So right now, I'm working on a list. This is a list of things I'm afraid of, that I really, really want to do. (And no, bungee jumping isn't on there.) Eventually, I want to create a "Fear-Less Challenge" and I encourage YOU to join me.

In the meantime, I'm going to go pull my swimsuit out of the closet for my first-ever swimming lesson. Now that's scary!