1. It’s OK to be Afraid
The truth about fear is that it has the tendency of revealing insecurities and bringing to the surface that the world is not the problem but instead you are the issue. This reality can be hard to swallow because that means that we cannot put blame on anyone or anything but ourselves. The idea that I may cause my own demise is a hard pill to swallow. However, the beauty lies in knowing and acknowledging those fears. Everything happens for a reason therefore who we are and what we fear has a beginning and an evolution. If I know what scares me, I can rationalize my fear, face it, and potentially see the reason for its manifestation in the first place.
My life, like many others, has not been easy, but I have been fortunate. I have always pictured my life as a ship, one very big ship. Along my journey I make several stops to refuel and at times there are cracks while in other moments there are huge holes in the sides of my ship. There are moments when I am on the verge of sinking (emotionally, physically, mentally) and there are times when I am moving swiftly sailing toward my destination with relative ease. Unfortunately, the moments that mattered the most were when I was on the verge of sinking and the holes in the ship were too big to fix alone.
2. Fear is Faith
The fear that I have is one of failure. I realized that this fear is one of the most debilitating of its kind. There is a beauty in fear that I believe is not mentioned often. The beauty of fear is that it keeps you aware; aware of other’s feelings, your surroundings, your intentions, your desires, and goals. Fear is proportional to faith, in my opinion. The more fear we have, the less faith you possess. Fear is only conquered by a strong belief in oneself, one’s abilities, and desires. “A little fear is good”, as my father always says. It keeps you on your toes. It reminds you to be prepared. I trained to lessen my fear of failure and to this day I know that I am not perfect, but my faith is stronger.
3. It Helps You Identify Your Insecurities
Usually insecurities are viewed as negatives, however, I find strength in acknowledging my fears and shortcomings. Doing so makes me work harder and makes me adaptable and accountable. I take my goal of becoming a naturopathic physician seriously because life is not a joke. Being responsible for another person’s life requires skill and fortitude that can only be achieved when we are honest with ourselves.
4. Fear Allows You to Gain an Understanding of Your Identity
In my opinion, in order to be successful in this world, you need a level head, a belief in oneself, and an understanding of who you are and what you are capable of. All of these things come from maturity and maturity only comes with time and experience. The beautiful thing about maturity is that sometimes others notice it before you do, but when you recognize that you have matured that is when true magic happens. Looking back, I have no regrets and are patient and content with taking things one step at a time. I cherish every moment and think before I act. I am ready for whatever the world may throw at me and believe I have what it takes to conquer my dreams and the obstacles that may come with them.
What’s your fear? What have you learned from it?
