If Nothing Could Stop You.....

The question is WHAT HOLDS YOU BACK? Where would you go, and what would you do if there was nothing to get in the way?

The answer is, that only you can answer that, and truthfully, I wonder how many of us really know what holds us back. I've learned along the way, and even though I know, it doesn't always help me to prevent it from stopping me from doing something or going somewhere new. The knowing is half the battle though, that's the good news. Arent you glad there was some good news? The bad news is that YOU have to take the steps necessary to change the barriers around you, by first identifying what they are, and how you let them affect you or inhibit you. Is that really bad news? No, I don't think so, just kinda scary, isn't it; to think that the power of change is within YOU, and that YOU have to DO it? There is no button to push or someone else to call upon to make it happen, it's all up to YOU.

I remember the day I read that statement in a book about embracing fear, and it gave me such a feeling of immense power because it made me feel like everything I wanted, or didn't want, in my life was within my ability to change! Wow, what an amazing insight!
I identified a few things in myself at that time...that my biggest obstacle in my life was FEAR. Okay," Great, I thought, now I know!" Yea, uh, but now what? How do I just stop being afraid? What am I afraid of? (did you notice that I said that in present tense? Umm, that's because as much as I would like to proclaim to not be afraid anymore, I still am sometimes.)
But, through life experience and time, I have learned something about fear. It's healthy when used properly! Let me try to explain this, if you're standing in a dark alley in a bad part of town and your fear radar is blaring in your head, that's your intuition and common sense telling you to get the hell outta there! On the other hand, if you're falling in love persay, fear is not something you want to get in your head too much. Still following me? There is such a thing as caution and we should all heed caution when necessary, but allowing full blown fear to interfere in our lives is just downright dangerous; seriously.

I was married to a man who was always scared, scared of the "what ifs", scared of the unknown, scared of things he couldn't control, everything! So afraid in fact that he talked himself right into his miserable existence, everything he feared became his reality. How many people do we all know like that? People who are so caught up in their fear of being alone, fear of being poor, my goodness the list could go on and on, right? The Law of Attraction in the Universe states that like thoughts attract like thoughts. Wow, imagine that! So when we feed our irrational fears, or dwell on the negative *what ifs* in life, we are bringing them to us in essence. Now that is a powerful thought isn't it? If you want good things and good experiences in your life, you have to let go of the negative self talk, the negative fears, and all of the old pages in the book of YOU, and start talking to yourself with positive thoughts, brave thoughts! Rewrite those pages of your life, each day is a clean, empty page! What's holding you back now?

Funny story; when I was 14 years old, we took a class trip to Great America. I had never ridden a roller coaster, although I had thoughts about them,I never really imagined I would be brave enough to try. I got in line for this loopty dee Loop roller coaster at the coaxing of my well meaning, fearless friends; I was terrified as I watched that ride whiz through the loops, upside down, down steep drops, at this point, I was sweating, shaking, but even worse than my fear of that demon roller coaster, was my fear of my friends seeing how afraid I was! So I kept moving with them through the line, getting closer and closer to the loading area, where my life would most likely come to an end. . Dramatic? Yea, well you should have told that to the 180 mile an hour heartbeat in my chest! At the last second, I considered bailing out, I thought very very seriously about not caring what the hell anyone thought of me, but I was 14, of course I cared what my friends thought of me, I mean, DUH! Peer pressure is a real bitch, isn't it?
I got on the Tidal Wave at Six Flags Great America in 1984, and have been a roller coaster junkie ever since! Matter of fact, we rode that ride 4 times in a row that day, I couldn't get enough. A few years ago, my kids and some friends and I conquered the biggest, fastest rc at Six Flags now, after watching it for 2 years in a row and being too chicken to get on it. We not only rode it once, we rode it twice, and the second time, we even put our hands in the air!

The point is? I found out that I have a very adventurous spirit within me; a spirit that loves to overcome what I think is trying to stop me, a desire to be triumphant over my fear. I have traveled to new places, met new people, I have taken chances. Now and then, we discover that a chance we took didn't turn out exactly like we had hoped, or like we had pictured, but even in those experiences there was something to learn and a reason you experienced it. You have to believe that, otherwise, what is life really about? What is all this for, if not to teach us, and to open up opportunities for us to teach as well?

I'm not perfect, nor do I have all of this down to a science, fear still grips me sometimes, but not as much, and not in regards to as many things as it used to. I have so much left to accomplish, so many things I want to bring to fruition in my life, and in the lives of others; I want to love without fear, I want to trust without so much fear attached to it, and I will, this I am sure of, baby steps.
No one can conquer it for you, they can be with you, but ultimately YOU have to do it. So what's stopping you; holding you back; keeping you from the life you want and desire? Isn't it time to figure it out? No time like the present! Conquer your "roller coaster!"

Think it! Feel it! See it! It's waiting for you :)