What, me afraid?

“Do the thing you are afraid to do and the death of fear is certain.”- Ralph Waldo Emerson

When I look at my list of goals for the day I often find myself starting with the easy ones first. Human nature I suppose.

Checking off the easy ones sure makes me feel productive. Unfortunately, by the end of the day, more often than not, I find that some of my most ambitious goals never got tackled.

Focusing on the little stuff enables me to avoid facing the uncertainty that usually accompanies bigger, challenging goals. Where do I begin? Do I know everything I need to know for this thing to fly? Are all the stars aligned perfectly? How will people react? And so forth.

Venturing into uncharted territory can seem so full of risk that I often end up doing nothing. The result, of course, is that I start off today not much further down the road than where I was yesterday.

What helps me summon the strength to take an alternate route, one that’s not so easy?

I think of the people around me who model courage by their everyday actions, doing things that really matter.

I draw inspiration from:

• people I know in my community who adopt or foster children
• people who struggle with many fewer resources than I but who carry on with the strength and grace of a saint
• people who take to the streets to promote values supportive of our entire community
• people who dedicate a huge chunk of their private life to public service
• people who volunteer to work for non-profit causes.

No doubt you can think of people in your life who by their courage help light the way for you.

The world is full of people who, in spite of the risks, deliberately choose the more challenging path, and often for the greater good of others.

I resolve to do more of that which is truly courageous. I hope you will too!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Barry

Head Coach