This week started off with a bang: I sat three rows back from the stage at Salem College's Hanes auditorium, listening in rapt attention as Elizabeth Gilbert, author of "Eat, Pray, Love" (among many other things) spoke for 45 minutes on "The Physics of the Quest--Some Thoughts on Journeys of Self-Discovery." Imposing title notwithstanding, it was an hour of me being a super-sponge!
And before I get to what she had to say about fear, I just have to note this one huge impression: she is someone who has found a glorious way of holding and balancing mastery with humanness. What I mean by that is this: for anyone who has ever stood in front of classroom, lecture hall, auditorium, or audience of any size, it's paramount to be able to impart what you have to say with such stature that people want to listen, but also with a way of being that says, "I know this stuff, but I'm one of you, too. This is within your reach, and I'm still on the journey!" Without that, connection can't happen, and to me, connection is becoming more and more of what's vital in any kind of interaction, be it one on one or one on three hundred. EG has that nailed!
So, back to fear. Here was the gist, which I pass on to you for your consideration:
She started out with this question: "At what point will we be allowed to not fear the work we were put on this earth to do?"
When she was a girl, she knew she wanted to devote her life to the craft of writing. As she grew, and as she shared this info, people would say things like, "aren't you afraid you'll never succeed?" and "aren't you afraid you'll never get anything published?" and "aren't you afraid no one will like what you have to say?" Now, standing on this side of wild success with Eat, Pray, Love, she hears, "aren't you afraid that success will ruin your life?" and "aren't you afraid you'll never write anything else as good as EPL?"
(Note from LCN: these questions can come from others, but can just as easily come from our inner critic.)
And so she observed that we are constantly offered this hors d'oeuvres tray of fear, no matter where we are in our journey, and people (and/or our inner critic) want you to eat off of that tray to appease their own sense of fear and what's "safe."
Another tidbit: a YMCA she used to visit offered this warning to its members: "Warning! Any movement whatsoever brings the possibility of injury!"
Hmmm...
Where, in your own life, are you being offered that hors d'oeuvre tray of fear?
Are you partaking?
What's the impact, either way?
And where are you staying stock still, for fear of injury?
What's the cost of THAT?
Ms. Gilbert spent a year abroad, living full on despite her fear. We don't all have to take such a huge step. Where, in your day, can you create your own adventure? Step out of your own comfort zone for the sake of growth and learning?
Ahhh...fear. Like it or not, it's a comrade on these journeys we're all on. How do YOU want to be with it?
