FEAR

Change has always been part of my life. When I was a kid I moved around a lot because my dad was an athletic trainer in the minor leagues for three different major league baseball teams. I didn’t attend the same school two years in a row until I was in high school. Moving was always an adventure. I got to see a lot of the country, and I have had great experiences and made great memories that I will always treasure.

As a young adult, I continued my wanderlust moving across the country twice – both times on a whim – and making new memories along the way. However, as I’ve gotten older my passion for travel and moving has not decreased, but my fear of the change has increased. Being mobile is great, but there is also something to be said for stability and building roots that will carry you through the rest of your life. I’ve lived in southeast Kansas now for seven years and I’m ready to move again. I know it is the right decision for me, but as I began to plan the move a growing fear of change began creeping in.

This fear was a new experience for me. When I left Arizona to move back to Kansas, my plan was to stay just long enough to finish college and then leave again. That did not happen. After graduation, I grew into the small town living environment that I started while in school. It became an easy life, if at times an unfulfilling one. Now, as I prepare to move across the country, my comfort zone has become unsettled.

Following your dreams can be exciting, but can also be a bit scary. Fear of the unknown can stop you in your tracks. It’s easy to give into fear and allow it to prevent you from doing the things in life that you truly want to do. I’ve learned through this process is that the only way to fight through the fear is to look into your heart and trust in yourself. So that’s what I’m doing.

Although I’m a bit fearful of change I’m excited too. In fact, the closer I get to my departure day, the more excited and less fearful I become. It is a great feeling to face your fears and overcome them. Eleanor Roosevelt said, “The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams.” With that sentiment in mind, here’s to the future and following my dreams with the woman I love in an exciting new adventure. I’m sure fear will creep in from time to time for the rest of my life. But I won’t let it stop me. Not a chance.