All about the F word...

There’s this four-lettered word that pops up from time to time. It’s dirty and ugly and most people would rather avoid it. It can make you feel like you’re sick and spinning. It will keep you stuck in negative patterns if you choose but when turned around and paid attention to this little word can become your best friend. Wanna know what it is? Read on…

 Fear will stop you dead in your tracks and cause you to play small. It will mess with your mind; make you see things that aren’t really there. In fact, an acronym often associated with fear is: False Evidence Appearing Real. It’s just that an illusion but it feels so real when you’re in it. It’s masked as many things. Fear can masquerade as anger, control, insecurity, self-sabotage, negativity and other ugly stuff but one thing you can learn is your fear can become your #1 teacher if use it to your advantage. I just realized this the other day when my fear almost got the best of me.

 Let me share a secret with you… I get insecure and sometimes I get scared. Yep, I just outed myself all over the www that I get insecure and scared but who doesn’t and were friends right? So I know you won’t judge me or make fun of me for sharing my vulnerability with you. Life is an epic adventure and who better to go through it with than my Shine Tribe, YOU!

 So, something different happened the other day when I went into fear mode. I wanted to reach out for one of my teachers, and I rarely do this. I usually always try to handle it myself but this time I was gonna call him and tell him I was feeling insecure. I was gonna share that I just didn’t think I could do this upcoming thing because of this reason and that reason. Then I actually called him and he didn’t answer. I texted and got no response (God stepped in here, I know).

 So I was like, ok Meegan, what would he (my teacher) tell you to do right now? So I pictured him in front of me and I went through the reasons I was coming up with for not wanting to do what I had committed to do. And they all started to sound petty in my mind.

 It jumped out at me that he would’ve have been looking at me like hmmm… sounds like fear to me (this would’ve probably made my ego mad, because he was right) but I would’ve listened because he’s good at being objective in times like these and I trust him. Then he would’ve told me to pause and pray.

 So that’s what I did. I paused and sat down. Then, I said ok fear, and what do you have to teach me? Then fear started to talk… it said, I would teach you to step back and let God lead the way. I would teach you to pause and pray. I would teach you to ask for the answers and then allow God to show you the way out of me. Fear said to me, I would teach you to ask why you doubt yourself. Fear said, I would teach you it’s not about what anyone said or did. Fear said, I would teach you that this is your lesson and your lesson alone. And then you will share.

 I sat there kinda shocked for a minute. I felt better. I felt calm. I felt at peace.  I felt like for the first time in my life I befriended my fear and it helped me rather than hindered me. I used fear as my teacher and it taught me so well. That moment was a major accomplishment in my life. This was a turning point for me. I no longer have to play small to my fears and neither do you.  I learned in that moment that even our negative emotions have something to teach us. We must be willing to stop, ask and listen. Every moment, every emotion, every thought is our guru. Happy growing Shine Tribe.

Love + Light

Meeg

XOXOXO