Can you imagine doing all of the things you love to do; being paid for doing those things; feeling good about what you are doing and yourself? Is that frightening to you? ... That’s probably why it’s not happening.
-- Iyanla Vanzant

Fear has got you stuck in the job, relationship, routine, and pit it wants you in. It’s got you walking with your head bowed, knees buckled, and your voice sounding barely above a whisper. Fear has you looking the same year after year; feeling the same day in and day out; and selling yourself short at every moment. It has a seat at your dining table and occupies a side of your bed. It hovers around your wallet, tramps around your brain, peeks at you while naked, and shows up in all your interactions. Fear has so much control over your life, you may as well pay taxes, tithes, and offerings to it.

What if one day – tomorrow, for instance – you said, “to hell with fear?” What if on tomorrow, instead of exercising fear, you got brave, stepped out on faith, and did the very things you’ve been afraid to do? What could happen?

Well, lots of things could happen. Maybe somebody will tell you “no;” or, they may say “yes.” Somebody may steal your thunder and tell you there is no way you can do the thing you think you can do. Or you may just do the thing and do it so well it becomes the next best thing. You may even stumble and fall, breaking your arm and leg on the way down and embarrassing yourself so badly, you may wish you’d never even stepped out in the first place. Or, you may soar and be as light and graceful as an angel, blessing everybody who comes into your space and acquaintance. Anything could happen. All this could happen. But you’ll never know what can happen if you stay in fear.

This is not to suggest fear is awful. On the contrary, having a bit of fear, or caution, is healthy, and it is the wise person who triggers the winds of caution before undertaking a thing. However, solely living off fear, never experiencing your full promise because you were afraid to even try does make fear awful. God didn’t plant in us the spirit of fear; we weren’t paced here to be slaves to worry or dread. God trusts and expects us to apply our faith, act with forethought, and let no obstacle stand in the way of reaching our fullest and greatest potential.

You’re not expected to be and do it all; you must do what you can. But you’ll never do what you can or be who you are destined to be if you’re too afraid to try and reach out for the possibilities. Challenge yourself to go from fear to fully functioning. While there are many steps in between, vow to begin moving away from being afraid.

Sadiqqa © 2007