Riding without training wheels

"What would you do if you were not afraid"? I would be willing to bet that there would be an incredible list of things all of us would do if we were not afraid. This would be a great topic of conversation to have with each other. There are still a number of things I would do if I were not afraid. Being afraid or having fear is an important feeling that all of us should want to feel. Fear keeps us safe and grounded. Fear and being afraid can help us be more rational about big decisions, but fear and being afraid are also meant to be conquered.

Think back, you have done it many times in your life already. Conquering fear over things we have deemed to be afraid of has been a staple in our lives. When I try to think of my earliest recollections of doing something that I was afraid of, I end up back in my side yard being determined to get over the fear of riding a two wheel bike with no training wheels. Oh my god it sucked, knowing that most of my attempts in the beginning where going to end up in some sort of mangle wreck with cuts and bruises. But I wanted that freedom to ride my bike where and when I wanted to. The freedom to travel outside of the boundaries that had been set for me by my parents was to intoxicating to let fear of wrecking get in the way. I wanted the freedom more than letting the fear stop me. 

There are tons more of these times in our lives where we let go of the fear and decided to stop being afraid. The first time you climbed to the top of the tallest tree. The first time you had to read out loud in class, The first time you kissed someone. The first time you moved out on your own. The first time you quit your job to follow a passion. The list can go on and on. So often though we let being afraid stop us from doing something big or monumental in our lives. We fail to look back on all the fears that we have already gotten past. We think there is no way I can do this. When in reality you probably can. Think of it this way. If there is something that keeps popping up in your mind and heart and won't go away and it scares the hell out of you. There is a good chance that you should probably do it. There has to be a strong reason why it keeps popping up and won't go away. 

Don't live with regret because you let a fear of the unknown stop you. If it doesn't workout you chalk it up to experiences in life and learn from it and move on or make a better attempt. This is so much better than living with the regret of not trying at all.