Realizing Fear

 

I know what fear is. I learned about it as a child growing up, it is a feeling you get when you are scared. It happens almost involuntarily. But I have recently learned more about fear,...

I now know that it (fear) has the ability to hold onto someone and it can be a distinctive game changer in someones life, with or without them realizing it. It is sometimes unrealized and we look right past it. Fear, is what makes us miss out on opportunities that life presents to us.

In my life there has always been a reoccurring feeling of fear. Not just the idea of  "this is spooky, I'm scared" kind of feeling, but the part of fear that comes with the trying of new things, and getting out of your comfort zone. The feeling that holds you back from doing what you want to do.

Just recently I have realised fear is present more often than I think. I was at a youth retreat and the speaker was talking about how we miss out on so many opportunities. He linked it all back to the story of Peter taking his eyes off Jesus while he was walking on water. He said that Peter may have been wrong to stop focusing on Jesus, but at least Peter took the first step. Peter got to experience something that the rest of the disciples in the boat did not get to, because they stayed in the boat.

So naturally I started thinking about this, and how it is with my life. When have I stayed in the boat? When have I missed out on opportunities because I was held back by fear? Well, the answer is, many times, more than I have realized, or can think of.

So I can stay thinking about all that I might have missed out already, but instead I am going to look forward. When I feel/sense that feeling that I am going to just sit back, or that I do not really want to do something, I ask myself, what am I possibly going to miss out on? Do I really want to miss an opportunity that life is handing me? Am I going to stay in the boat, or this time get out?