fear

No past attached

by Katie Welker

More often than not, we make present choices based off of past experiences. And while in most instances that’s smart, given that our past usually teaches us a lesson and makes us wiser, what about when the past clouds our judgement and makes us act out of fear, rather than wisdom? What then?

Instead, what if we had the chance to start each day with a completely clean slate, no past attached. We could interact with one another as though there’s no history that may influence our actions. We could try new things without worry or anxiety that it may not work out in the future. We could take a risk and not second guess whether it’s the right move or not.

We could live in the moment. Just as it is.

This doesn’t have to be a hypothetical situation. As you go about your day, try to make your decisions out of courage rather than fear. Trust that while your yesterdays are important because they led you to this moment, they aren’t the deciding factor in how and why you make your next move.

Because here’s the truth: there’s no better time to live your life than right now. Don’t let your past rob you of the present.

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Name your fear

by Katie Welker

Failure. Mediocrity. Unbalance. Complacency.

I’m petrified of them all becoming a reality.

I’m afraid of passing up opportunities just because the timing is less than ideal.

I’m scared that i’ll be forgotten by those who I hope remember me the most.

Even more so, i’m scared of settling and not realizing that I have. I guess that boils down to being too comfortable. Resting on my laurels sounds like the most miserable option of all time. But what if I never find what it is that i’m truly great at, never find a place that doesn’t feel like i’m a square peg in a round hole? I suppose most people may feel that way in one category of their life or another.

Worst of all, i’m scared that these fears will either hold me back or that my expectations for myself and my own life are so high that i’ll never meet them. I’ve been warned before that expectations are the root of most evil, and maybe that’s true. I aim extremely high and it’s hard for me to be satisfied. Though while I believe I’m as easy going as they come, I constantly and incessantly yearn for more intrinsic fulfillment in every and any aspect of my life.

Maybe one day all of this will add up: the late nights spent blogging to the Rolling Stones, striving to learn from people and daily experiences, wearing my heart on my sleeve with no reservation and no shame, navigating from one engaging article and one captivating novel to the next, attempting to reflect upon my incomplete and scattered thoughts, crying into a carton of ice cream over loves lost, sipping wine with my feet kicked up, walking through the neighborhood and saying hello to strangers, literally stopping to smell the flowers… it’s got to add up to something. It’s got to be a part of that greater plan of which I am equal parts orchestrator and puppet.

Whether it adds up or not, there’s one thing I know for certain: despite fear, uncertainty, frustration and doubt, I never once strayed away from who I am in this moment and who I hope to be in the next. I’ve stumbled and fallen probably more than most, but I’ve never gone outside of my own morals and values in order to figure this life out.

Want to stay true to yourself? Name your fears, then turn them into your greatest source of strength.

 

Fear