The word fear takes on two different meanings. Let’s break it down both ways. F.E.A.R. can stand for two different ways to handle a situation. I can’t take credit for this quote as it comes from the great Zig Ziglar. F.E.A.R means to Forget Everything and Run or, to Face Everything and Rise.
The choice is yours.
For someone who has anxiety, FEAR can mean the former. It’s easier to do this when things don’t go their way but it doesn’t mean a win. I’m not talking about a fear of public speaking, dying, or spiders, though these things frighten me just as much. For someone who’s changing the status quo and changing the world, I’m going to have to face naysayers. Those critics could be in public, in front of a computer screen on social media or a podcast, or people close to me trying to “help me”. I also have to learn that I’m going to do this alone (already there). In this case, FEAR should mean Face Everything and Rise.
What I need to combat my anxiety is simple. Just keep being me. Easier said than done though. I look forward to something and then the day or night of, fear comes over me like a dark cloud that covers the sun. I feel like I set myself up for disappointment because I want instant approval and when I don’t get it, I feel disappointed. I feel like I get guilt-tripped just for being me. I fear rejection and I fear getting yelled at. Instead of depending on others’ approval, why not God’s approval or my own approval?
If you watched the news today or were perusing on social media, you learned that Joe Biden has stepped aside from running for re-election in 2024. He has endorsed his running mate, Kamala Harris, but it’s not a sure thing yet. This is good for Biden as he needs to preserve his legacy in politics. He’s had a good run and now it’s time to see who can run against Donald Trump in the election. The last four elections have had me living in fear or have seen me get ostracized for who I’m voting for. If Kamala runs, she has my vote.
Any comments on this post concerning the election will be deleted. I’m talking about fear, not politics (which most people don’t like talking about for fear of offending someine).
When one thinks of what the biggest fear is, they look no further than public speaking. If you have fear of getting up in front of a group and talking for a peiod of time, there’s no better place to go than to a Toastmasters meeting. Face everything and rise.
The first speech, also known as the ice breaker, is the toughest one to give. Getting up and presenting it in front of your club, and accomplishing said speech, is like a huge weight lifted off of you.
One of my favorite scenes in Harry Potter comes from the third film where Professor Lupin has the students naming their biggest fear. For Ron Weasley, it’s spiders. For Neville Longbottom, it’s Professor Snape. In the second movie, Ron goes into the forest with Harry and Hagrid’s dog Fang to clear Hagrid’s name, even if it means all of them getting eaten by Aragog’s offspring. He and Harry faced everything and rose, even though it would have been much easier to do with Hermione there. To me that was one of the scenes that really firghtened me. Expelliarmus!
Sometimes, I just need to take my own advice, face everything, and rise!
Stylish 🍒 