As I look out my window this morning, the trees blow gently in the breeze and the birds flit joyously among their branches. Yet, what draws my attention is the large blue jay that suddenly darts out of view, his azure plumage whizzing past. Moments later, he returns for only a second or two. He streaks by the window and then disappears for good. I cannot make him come back. (Unless I have a few fresh peanuts I want to part with.) He has simply moved on.
As I begin my new journey of writing full-time, I know something about a word that we all deal with every day. It's the word fear. For such a small word, it packs an incredible punch. I find almost any excuse I can think of that will prevent me from doing things I'm afraid of. I might watch a movie, go out with friends, read a book, complete household tasks, or even clean the house (which is saying something because that’s never on top of my to-do list). Avoidance and distraction are great deterrents. But neither of them diminishes my fears nor makes them disappear. So, why do I try so hard to keep my fears at bay? And, why don’t I want anyone to even know that I have them? The answer of course is fear: fear of failure, fear of disapproval, fear of rejection. Those are all pretty big motivators for keeping my life status-quo. For if everything stays the same, I can avoid the biggest fear of all, change.