Can I Share Something Personal With You?

Can I share something personal with you? We all have fears. Even me.

They look different for each of us. Some are obvious – big men in dark allies. Some are more subtle – the look on your father’s face when he’s disappointed in you.

But we all have them.

These fears become like the walls that carve out the hallways of our lives. You end up going a certain direction in life not because you like what’s down the hallway, but because you’re afraid to touch the wall and turn around.

Fear traps you. But the worst part is that you barely know it’s there.

You know in your heart that you want something different, but you keep walking anyway – as if pulled by an invisible force.

The invisible beliefs about how a good girl or boy should act.
The invisible boundaries of what hard work deserves.
The invisible badge of culture, class, and family history.

Your unexplored beliefs – passed down to you by TV, siblings, parents, and neighbors – end up shaping your life in ways you never imagined and surely wouldn’t choose again.

But you don’t have to settle for the view on life you were given.

If it doesn’t feel right or good or how it should be, then perhaps, just maybe, for you it isn’t. Perhaps there’s another way – of thinking, being, working, loving, living.

But to claim that, to step forward and say you think you’ll go a different way, you need to be bold.

You need to be willing to bring the hazy boundaries shaping your life beyond your awareness into clear sight.

You need to choose to turn first then steady yourself with the strength, conviction, and resolve that you can bear whatever comes next.

Sadness for time lost.
Shock for not realizing before.
Guilt for choosing something different than the people you love.

But you can do it.

The fear-carved hallways of your life aren’t as terrifying as they seem once you know you’re in control and they’re just figments of your well-intentioned desire to be loved, safe, and cherished.

What does your fear look like?

Jot down your beliefs about what would happen – in a bad way – if you went for your big dream, started acting different, or tried to reach your goal.

What horrible electric-fence zapping walls would you hit if you took a step towards being boldly you?

Then decide if you are worth facing your fears for. If your dreams are worth being uncomfortable, different, and potentially afraid for.

Because your future is up to you.

Be free. Be brave. Be YOU!

Love,
Alexis