Facing Our Fears

Fear seems to be pervading every aspect of the lives of so many people around me, including myself. With the current unstable economy, I’m noticing more and more people feeling deep anxiety and uncertainty. Many of the people I know are facing stringent financial changes due to job losses, home foreclosures, dwindling savings, and fear of the many changes that are occurring in the world around us.


On a personal level, I am no longer reliable enough to hold down a job, much less a career, due to my Fibromyalgia. My husband ends up taking on all of the financial responsibility with help from our family members for unexpected or special financial needs. At first when I stopped working, my husband and I found that only one week of the month could we actually breathe and relax. This was the week that no bills were due. 


We were really stressed and struggling with so much financial uncertainty, especially with only one person bringing in money. With two children to raise and a mortgage to maintain, life seemed very bleak. We ended up claiming bankruptcy, which our family helped us pay for. We couldn’t even afford bankruptcy! 



However, after awhile, my husband and I began to accept that we cannot control or prevent all of our challenges, but we CAN control how we react to them. Learning to accept that we don’t really need all of the “things” money can buy helped us both focus more on the friends and family in our lives and creating memorable special moments as much as possible. We no longer feel the need to “Keep up with the Jones’s,” instead we delight in the simple pleasures of life. 


For me, I ended up focusing inwardly as well and determined that my real purpose in life is to empower and inspire others simply by openly and honestly sharing my experiences with Fibromyalgia. In order to do this, I had to overcome a lot of fears. Some of them are still valid. 


For instance, I was and still am afraid of what would happen if for some reason I end up having another Fibro Flare-up and am rendered incapable of writing or doing much of anything for a month or more. But instead of letting that fear prevent me from trying, I have focused my energy towards positivity and appreciating each beautiful moment in life and rejoicing in every post that I am able to share.


If I hadn’t started facing my fears and consciously shifting to a positive perspective, I may never have even tried to start connecting with other people and sharing my experiences and inspirations so openly. Honestly, I have always had a bit of fear when it comes to the value of what I have to say and whether it would really be helpful or not (even before I was diagnosed with Fibromyalgia). After all, what if my experiences bear no similarity to anyone else’s or what if people simply aren’t interested in what I have to say? The ultimate in negative self-talk! 


But a little over a month ago, I did it! I fearfully started my blog with a personal focus on helping me maintain a positive attitude with an open, joyful, and caring heart, while helping others with Fibromyalgia. I genuinely believe that what we put into the universe we get back and that trying to help other people is one of the most positive things we can do in our lives. Helping other people helps me cope and stay inspired more than anything else in the world possibly can.


A little over a month later, I am stunned to have already found so many wonderful and supportive people. Some of my new friends have Fibromyalgia or other invisible illnesses, but most of them are people who are simply looking for inspiration and wanting to share their own life experiences. 


I feel so honored to meet so many wonderful people, most of whom are fellow bloggers. I’m told that having so many followers so quickly is unusual for many bloggers and I can only be thankful that so many people are open to listening and sharing with me. Thank you to each and every one of you!


I still feel fearful at times, but I’m facing it and trying to avoid my old negative thoughts and behaviors that really just make things worse like:

• Stressing about money and the change to our financial situation

• Being frustrated about my inability to clean the house or do anything I used to do quickly or easily

• Focusing on my fears and letting them rule me

• Worrying about what other people think

• Hiding how I really feel

My largest personal goal in life has shifted from having the most up to date electronics and coolest “stuff” to accessing, embracing, and utilizing my inner fearlessness and confidence. 


I want to be fearless (or at least filled with less fear!). Instead of worrying about whether or not I can even do a blog, I now wake each morning excited to write about something (anything really) and even more importantly I’m delighted each time I have the opportunity to connect with another amazing person.


Consider what we can accomplish, if we no longer focus on our fears and simply know in our hearts and minds that we cannot fail! By facing our fears, we can all become powerful beyond our wildest dreams. 


Which reminds me of one of my favorite quotes, this quote became very well-known when used in the movie Akeelah and the Bee (great movie by the way). In the movie, the quote is attributed to Nelson Mandela, but it actually came from a book by Marianne Williamson called “A Return to Love.” Without further ado, here is the quote:

Our worst fear is not that we are inadequate, our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, 'who am I to be so brilliant, gorgeous, talented and fabulous?' Actually, who are we not to be? You are a child of God: Your playing small doesn't serve the world. There is nothing enlightening about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you. We were born to make manifest the glory of God within us. It is not just in some of us, it is in everyone and as we let our own light shine we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others. 

~Marianne Williamson 

I think facing our fears is one of the most important and difficult steps to take as we climb our sometimes seemingly insurmountable mountains of fear and negative thoughts.


Even though I still am afraid about even trying to do this blog, I feel galvanized with excitement to rise to the challenge of living an inspired life and sharing my experiences and inspirations one post at a time. 


I believe I’ve started on my journey on the path of fearlessness and inspiration. I’m so glad to have so many wonderful people supporting me and my blog along the way. I cannot thank everyone enough.  


Hopefully, together we can all achieve the greatest accomplishment of all: Living an Inspired Life (while facing our fears)!