Punch fear in the face.

Chances are, once you begin your hero's journey, or your path to awesome, there's going to be some major obstacles. They may be physical obstacles, lack of money, verbal opposition, ignorance about how to follow your purpose, or many more challenges. Today I found some amazing writing on how to overcome the universal challenge well-known to all who seek greatness: fear. 

If you haven't read Start by Jon Acuff yet, I recommend it!

This book is an easy, entertaining read, but full of insights. I love what Acuff says about fear:

"Fear tends to argue both sides of the coin, leaving you absolutely no room to stand. Here are two of the complete opposite things it will tell you: "Don't chase your dream at all." And, "If you chase your dream, you have to do it all at once."

Do you see the absurdity of that? "Don't do it! Don't do it! Don't do it!" fear screams. Then, when you ignore those cries, fear changes its tactic and screams, "Do it all at once! Do it all at once!"

Both of those statements are lies.

As you stand with one foot still on the road to average and one foot on the road to awesome, you've got to kill those concerns. Fortunately, there's a trick that will take care of them both. 

Just start."

Have you seen fear working like this in your own life? In all my endeavours to do good, fear has been right up in my face telling me I have to move faster, faster faster! If I don't do it all right away, it will be too late! I'll be too old to become great at this sport. I'll be too late to make a difference with my service. I'll be too late to make a change in my life because it won't seem genuine to others. I'll be too late...

I wonder how many great dreams, goals, and life-changing acts have been conquered by fear's lies. Unfortunately, so many people don't realize how absolutely untrue these doubts, worries and fears are. You don't need to fall prey to the same trap.

Any thoughts that make you doubt your worth, abilities, potential or capacity to do good are not worth your time. They are simply not true. 

This is not to say that we need to push those thoughts away by filling our minds with arrogance, pride or distractions. Instead, address those thoughts, identify them as lies, and replace them with truth. How? I'll share one way that Acuff suggests. And this works--I've tried it. Don't wait. Do it today. 

"Voices are invisible bullies, and they hate when you make them visible....Every time you take a step toward being awesome and a voice gets loud, write it down. Don't ask, "Is this a voice?" before you do. Just write. Fast and furious and imperfectly. Scribble as many as you can down, and then refute them with truth."

Take a piece of paper and draw a line right down the middle. Like this. 

Use a pen, a crayon, or even a purple marker. Just do it right away. Don't let procrastination, fear, or laziness get in your way. On one side of the page, write your biggest fears. On the opposite side of the line, write two positive opposites for each fear. It might look something like this:

Write fast. Write your real thoughts. Don't worry about making it perfect, because this exercise naturally echoes the perfect, real you. 

Once you feel like you've refuted a sufficient number of fears, here comes the fun part! Take a deep breath. Feel that courage? It might be small, but it's in you. By conquering your fear, you're letting your courage blossom. Now rip that page right down the line. Save the positive side. I keep mine in my purse, so if I'm nervous before a social situation it's right there, ready for me to whip it out and remember why what I do makes a difference. 

Then BURN the other half. Destroy the lies. Have no mercy. I'm not joking. Rip up the page. Rip it up and then burn it. Rip it up, burn it, and scatter the ashes to the wind. Whatever it takes to always remember that these lies have no place in your life. 

Just don't set your lawn ablaze. If anything like that happens, don't say you weren't warned. ;)

And throughout all of this, be sincere. Realize that those truths reflect the real you. Realize that you have the strength and power to overcome any and all of your fears. 

Are you up for the challenge? Are you willing to destroy your fears? Comment below once you've burnt or otherwise destroyed your fears. You can even take the next step and share some of your positive truths! Remember, fears hate it when you make them visible, so take advantage of this opportunity. Just start. You've got this.

Next week I'll report back how striving to overcome my own fears has changed how I live each day. Until then, keep following your own path to awesome!

What Makes a Hero?

Chances are, you've heard about what makes a hero before. Joseph Campbell's idea of the hero cycle has spread far and wide since he published A Hero With a Thousand Faces in 1949. Ever wondered why it's so popular? It's because it's true!

One of the key characteristics that these heroes must develop in their journey is courage. To quote the Princess Diaries movie:

"Courage is not the absence of fear, but rather the judgement that something else is more important than fear. The brave may not live forever, but the cautious do not live at all."

Just like Matthew Winkler said in the video, we are each human, and we each have the amazing opportunity to take our own journey through the hero cycle. No matter our circumstances, possessions, family situation, education, health or past mistakes, we can each find our courage and conquer our challenges. Courage is not something reserved for privileged people who magically have everything they need to be their best. Instead, it is something developed as we dare to step out of our comfort zone and into the unknown. Like JRR Tolkien so eloquently said, "Courage is found in unlikely places." It may not be until the end when you look back upon your journey that you realize you had courage all along. However you find your courage, trust is crucial. Trust that it will carry you through your challenges, no matter how daunting.

Now we'd like to issue a challenge! This blog was created to inspire you to live a better story and to show ways in which people everywhere are doing so. Today we challenge you to (drumroll please...) take a few minutes today to think about hero cycle and how it applies to your life. Have you received a call? Are you reluctant to accept it? Have you crossed into the unknown and now feel like you're wandering a rocky trail? Perhaps you have just undergone a transformation and are returning to the status quo. Wherever you are in your own journey--your path2awesome--think about how you can use courage to overcome your own challenges. Then get started. 

"There's no comfort in the learning zone, but there's no learning in the comfort zone!"

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Did this inspire you? Visit our Share Your Story page and share how you are living with courage! And don't forget to share the blog with your friends! 

Bridges

Wes Jackson once said, 

"If your life's work can be accomplished in your lifetime, you're not thinking big enough."

The Bridge Builder

by Will Allen Dromgoole

An old man going a lone highway, 

Came, at the evening cold and gray, 

To a chasm vast and deep and wide.

Through which was flowing a sullen tide

The old man crossed in the twilight dim,

The sullen stream had no fear for him;

But he turned when safe on the other side

And built a bridge to span the tide.

"Old man," said a fellow pilgrim near,

"You are wasting your strength with building here;

Your journey will end with the ending day, 

You never again will pass this way; 

You've crossed the chasm, deep and wide,

Why build this bridge at evening tide?

The builder lifted his old gray head; 

"Good friend, in the path I have come," he said,

"There followed after me to-day

A youth whose feet must pass this way.

This chasm that has been as naught to me

To that fair-haired youth may a pitfall be;

He, too, must cross in the twilight dim;

Good friend, I am building this bridge for him!"

On our own paths to awesome, there are many things we can do to build figurative living bridges. What will you choose to do today?

Intentionally Precise, Precisely Intentional

It's so nice to leisurely open your eyes in the morning, glance at the clock, and lay there, staring at the ceiling for a few minutes before you slide out of your bed to make your way to the pantry for a bowl of cheerios. Relaxing days without much direction are always enjoyable. Who doesn't like the freedom of just doing whatever?

What's also so nice is collapsing into bed with a triumphant sigh knowing that you really did good in the world that day. Falling asleep with gratitude in your heart, memories of smiles shared and the thrill of accomplishment is always enjoyable.

There's nothing wrong with lazy days! In my eyes, they are essential. We've got to take some time to chill and renew ourselves otherwise we'd burn out and that really doesn't end well. But today I want to let each of you know that there is such a power in living intentionally. The past few weeks have been filled with both kinds of days for me, but the ones that I am happiest with are the ones where I literally fell into bed after working all day to keep a commitment or help somebody out.

If you've taken music lessons before, you probably know the importance of staying actively engaged. If you start a piece even a little bit late, the timing of the whole thing is off. Or if you allow yourself to get sloppy halfway through, the precision that makes music so beautiful is lost. From even before you begin to play to the very last note, you have to be intentional. You've got to be mentally prepared so you can start strong and confidently. You've got to be physically prepared with your fingers on the right keys so there's no mad scramble at the beginning. It takes so much effort, but soon you find yourself mastering difficult pieces with a new-found confidence.

You can consider each day to be a new piece of music, and look at this! You're both the composer and the musician! You choose which "notes" to play and how you'll play them. Are you going to open your eyes with a smile, hop out of bed and fill your home with happiness and gratitude? Are you going to consciously choose who you want to be and hold yourself accountable for your actions? When you find yourself just coasting through the day, are you going to remind yourself of your goals and dreams and get back on track?

I promise you that if you start each day with purpose, passion, and a solid intention, everything changes. Each decision leads you precisely where you want to go, and you end each day with a deep satisfaction. Now that is always enjoyable. :)