“If you think adventure is dangerous, try routine. It is lethal”
“If you can find a path with no obstacles, it probably doesn’t lead anywhere”
It’s time to break your habits, step out of your routine and face fear head on. Stop living in the same routine with regular happiness, low anxiety, and reduced stress. Instead, live an adventurous life with fear, discomfort and the possibility of failure.
Many of you probably read this, possibly even reread it to double check you read it correctly, and can’t believe what I just suggested. Yes, I am suggesting that you add a little fear and discomfort into your life. Choose the adventurous path once in awhile and stand tall against fear.
When facing a new challenge, we all have the opportunity to take either the easy, safe path or an adventurous, courageous path. Most of us will think about the adventurous path, but then travel the easy or safe one. That’s because whenever we stare down the adventurous road, we start to feel fear, play all the possible outcomes that lead to failure and listen to that little child in our head telling us “that way is too dangerous, don’t go that way.” With adventure comes fear and fear is scary. If you sense routine, you are traveling the safe or easy path. If you sense fear, you are traveling the adventurous path. Riskier equals scarier and scarier equals bigger adventure. Have faith and take an adventure. Next time a new opportunity presents itself, accept the fear, embrace it and step forward. It’s okay to feel fear, use fear as your motivating factor, your catalyst for success. Avoiding fear does not make you stronger, it only delays you on your road to happiness. Our heroes are not those individuals that have no fear; they are those who fight their fear with all of the courage in their mind, body and soul. They take on each adversity and challenge that is presented to them, pushing their fear to the side in order to see the opportunity for success. There is no comparison to the high, we as humans receive, coming out of an adventure after having proven to ourselves we can do it.
How do you accept the feeling of fear, quiet your inner child, and step forward?
Here’s a fun strategy. The first thing to do is take time to breathe, so you can physically calm down. Now, create a character based off your inner child’s voice. Maybe it’s a monster, a child, or even a scared bunny. Whatever your character is, give it a name. With your character, write down all of the horrible scenarios they are painting in your mind. Next, imagine your character playing out each scenario as if it were a level in a game and determine what the end of the level looks like. You can do this by asking yourself, “What’s the worst that can happen?” and following up with questions such as, “so what?” “Then what?” The last question to ask right before reaching the end is, “Is it true?”
Once you have reached the end of the level, my guess is that the end is far from the truth, and you and the world survive. The funny thing about our mind is that it is our most powerful tool on a daily basis, but can also be our worst weapon. Our fear is typically much worse in our mind than in reality and it’s important that we come to terms with that before taking the next step forward.
As you continue down the adventurous track, feel the rush, attend to your inner child and keep moving forward. Keep your faith and trust that everything will be okay.
“You are your own warrior. Let your mind be your shield, your tongue your sword, your heart your light in the darkness, and your fear your inspiration in battle. Fight for your happiness.”
Quotes by Paulo Coelho, Frank A. Clark & Anonymous.