Stand Your Ground

"Is this the life I'm coming back to? Is this the strongest emotion in the universe? Is fear what controls everyone and everything? Yeah. I didn't think so."

- Hal Jordan

The subject of fear will always captivate my attention. We see it everyday in ourselves and those around us. Many of us would claim to be fearless.No one really wishes to be the poster child for fear, yet so many of us are qualified to be it. 

I've had extensive conversations recently with people all dealing and struggling with different problems. Each of the situations have a clear difference but they all root from the same emotion:FEAR. 

Is there a cure for fear? Is there a way to eradicate its symptoms entirely?

There is this idea that when someone overcomes his or her fear, it's gone for good and he or she will never have to deal with that fear again. It reads quite well on paper but in actuality it is far from how it works. You learn this when you turn off the lights again or come face to face with a snake.

The first problem with fear is that we believe it's wrong to be afraid so we don't talk about it. Let's set the record straight right here and now.

FEAR FACT # 1: EVERYONE FEELS FEAR!!!

You may describe it as something else but we all deal with being afraid from time to time. It's natural. It's emotional. It's real. 

FEAR FACT # 2: EVERYONE HAS THE ABILITY TO OVERCOME THEIR FEARS! 

Admitting your fears to yourself and a close friend is a great start toward overcoming them. Fear will grab a hold of you regardless of your willingness to accept it as a problem so the sooner you acknowledge it the better off you'll be.

I know I don't typically provide answers to problems with my entries. I'm a firm believer in provoking thought through questions but quite frankly all I'm hearing lately are excuses wrapped in fear. "Well I'm worried about this..." Or "I'm afraid I'm not good enough."

I am not pointing fingers at anyone, I'm trying to help because fear is understandable. I struggle with my own every day and find ways to move passed the obstacles as they come. But I'm not always able to do it. I'm writing because I'm on the side of those too scared to move forward in life or too afraid to stand out.

Excuses only work up until a point. Make no mistake, trying to overcome your fear is the scariest place in the universe to be standing, but it's the place you must plant your feet at, otherwise, you'll wind up dead. 

Eleanor Roosevelt once sad: 

Do one thing every day that scares you. 

Mrs. Roosevelt was on to something. Excuses are easy to make when dealing with things that frighten us. Don't let the excuse win the battle, because your war will end faster with each moment you let slip away between your fingers. You cannot live life worrying about what tomorrow has for you. Accept that all you are given is this moment and you have to make the absolute best of it. 

"For me it's about precision, doing exactly what I need to get the job done. Concentrated power. Focused ambition. Tangible glory."

-Hal Jordan