Dare to do

I always enjoy quotes that make me think. One I read recently made me do just that. It comes from the Roman philosopher Seneca: "It is not because things are difficult that we do not dare; it is because we do not dare that they are difficult."

Does that resonate for you? There are many things we do not dare because of our fears; and most times, those fears have nothing to do with the difficulty of the thing we don't do. But those fears hold us back and make difficult some of the things we'd like to do. Most of us have fears about several things. It's good to take an individual fear out and really examine it. In what is the fear based? Often, it's not based in reality nor in an experience we've had. Can you take a risk and dare to do something small to move past that fear? And then try something bigger?

Once we face a fear and dare to do what it is we feared, we feel so strong and competent. Daring to do things builds our confidence. There's just nothing like it. I'll never forget when my father helped me learn to drive. I turned a corner on one of our country roads and didn't let the steering wheel  rotate back into position after the turn. Of course, I went straight into the ditch. Dad told me to drive the car out of the ditch. My fear was so great then that the way out of the ditch could just as well have been Mt. Everest. It seemed impossible to me that I could safely get us up and out of the ditch. But Dad wouldn't let my fear get the best of me. He was firm. So, of course, I got the car up and out of the ditch. I gained a lot that day: a real sense of accomplishment and a knowledge that I could do the thing I didn't think I could. And today I really love driving! Thanks, Dad.

What might be holding you back? Can you face the fear and dare to do the thing? Go ahead. I'll bet you can!