Last December, I feel down the stairs at my mothers house. It was a freak accident, but I hurt my knee terribly. It's been a long rehabilitation process, and unfortunately my fear of pain has hindered that progress quite a bit. It wasn't until my hubby said jokingly, "If there is ever a zombie apocalypse, you are on your own. I'll have the girl and dog to carry." We laughed and laughed, but then I thought - wait a minute, "If my knee never heals, I'll become a burden to my family." So off to the gym I went with a new found purpose - rehab the knee now. That was two weeks ago, and I have no regrets. I'm walking much better, and I can even go up and down the stairs with a little support. I feel like the Tin Man from the Wizard of OZ when he received oil to lubricate his joints. Less painful knee movement is possible with a little hard work. Hubby helped me more than he will ever know, because his words brought my fears to life. Here I am a woman who delivered two babies (8 pounds and 6 pounds) vaginally, and I'm afraid of a little knee pain. Yes my knee hurts when I'm training, but it's no way near as painful as active labor pains and delivery. I am much bigger than my fears, and so are you!
Once we become aware of our fears we can do the work necessary to disentangle ourselves from its life draining grip through action. That action can be whatever you choose - therapy, self help books, relationship websites, blogs, prayer, yoga, exercise, "coffee talk" with your family/friends, or meditation. Here is a short list of "action plans" I've compiled to get you started.
Website: http://www.psychologytoday.com/
Book: http://www.amazon.com/Quiet-Mind-Beginners-Guide-Meditation/dp/1590305973/ref=sr_1_4?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1366380863&sr=1-4&keywords=meditation+for+beginners
DVD: http://www.amazon.com/Yoga-Journals-For-Meditation/dp/B00008G76W/ref=sr_1_14?s=sporting-goods&ie=UTF8&qid=1366381071&sr=1-14&keywords=yoga+for+beginners+dvds
Social Media: https://www.facebook.com/JoelOsteen?fref=ts
Of course there will be times when we can't do it alone. If you feel loss, please be gentle with yourself. Seek help from a professional. Courage comes after the fall. We are courageous when we push past our fears. I've found that replacing the word "fear" with "excite" will help transform your speech and mind. Instead of "I'm so scared to begin walking up and down the stairs after my accident." to "I'm so excited to begin walking up and down the stairs after my accident." Do you see how powerful that last statement became just by swapping "excited" for "scared." So every morning look in the mirror, face your fears, and say,
"Hey Fear, you will no longer dictate how I live my life. I disconnect myself from your grips. I am so excited to start this day, and the path of my courageous life."
If your fear grips you again, please remember - Fear transformed translates to empowerment to love yourself and others. What are your biggest fears? What will you do today to overcome one fear today?
