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“C’mon let’s go climb the tree” she rallied.
Her timid self sized up the distance from the ground to the trunk and the first branch.
The spontaneous childlike nudge hushed her doubts and second guessing, off she went to befriend the trunk.
And even when her grasp out to the first branch resulted in a swift fall to the ground, she jumped up giggling.
‘We can do this” she told all of herselves.
And off she went again.
This time, she reached the second branch and just paused.
Gazing upward she saw the frail branches and thought she ought not push it.
She was aware she was still learning and felt satisfied — for the now — with this landing.
But sitting there, contemplating, as she was known to do, she retraced her steps and realized something:
The second she stopped listening to doubts and ‘but what if’s” and “I dont know if I can’s” her momentum gathered, courage and confidence and giddyness returned and onward she climbed into an adventure.
“Fear is a real big dummy” she concluded.
“He’s not ruling my afternoon today, that’s for sure.”
And then she grapsed her lips and said “Oops. Must stop that.” She’d promised herself to remember not to personify fear as a ‘him’ because she had a few special friends who were these ‘hims.’
And she could see them frowning at her when she said that.
So out loud she said “Okay okay. Fear is not boys. I like boys. Sometimes. But fear is still a big dummy and I will not listen to it ever again.”
(She chuckled though because she heard that inner nudge say “til you try to climb higher.” So she said out loud again “Okay then here’s the thing: fear may be there but I’m not cowering anymore.”
And that was that.
She positioned her back against the trunk, stretched out how she was able on the branch, pulled out The Bobsey Twins from her knapsack, and sunk into a good read.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Think back….
Did “I’m not sure I’m gonna be able to do this” ever hault your footsteps when you jaunted off to climb a tree?
or swing on the swings?
or climb the monkey bars?
Maybe a little, right? But did you stay there and avoid play out of fear you wouldn’t know what to do?
Kay.
Ask yourself: is there anything in your now you want or need to do but keep haulting out of fear you don’t know how you’re going to be able to do this?
Why?
Cause it’s a ‘real life biggie’ steada a set of swings or jungle gym?
If you’re pausing…and not doing…out of worry or fret or fear or second guessing or doubt or whatever…and you want to break out of that rutt, you can.
Fear has only the power we give it.
And each step we take–inspite of whatever it’s hissing–helps you break through the seeming stronghold.
You’re not an idiot or dumb or stupid or any other ‘name’ that the self condemning voice will keep accusing you of.
You are able. And every moment that you pause and get thoughts still, and lean into the whatever it is you’re nervous about or convincing yourself you can’t do, you break through the fear.
And little by little and step by step you find yourself climbing, swinging, playing…just as you did when you were a little boy or girl.
I would value helping you feel that freedom and play again….
Be in touch if you agree…
Tre ~
