The pump you up memes say, “Be fearless!”
The personal growth gurus say, “Feel the fear and do it anyway!”
Some religions say, “There is no fear with faith.”
Therapists say, “Identify the fear, feel it, talk about it, cope with it, and allow it to move through.” (We therapists can be wordy.)
My new coach Cassandra is teaching me, “Feel the fear, do not attach to the drama of it, and choose faith.”
Crap! So which is it?
Are we denying the fear?
Slaying the fear?
Ignoring the fear?
Or feeling and talking about it?
Our fear is wired into us to keep us safe. But, in the world of scarcity, shame, comparison, and judgment, it oftentimes takes over and keeps us from living our happiest life and going for our biggest dreams.
As Brené Brown writes, “Afraid and brave, all in the same second. You cannot have both courage and comfort.”
Feel the fear and the faith, or as I often write, “Walk into and embrace the complicated gray.”
It is both.
I have fear (we all do).
Actually, as I am embarking on the biggest risk of my career in just a few weeks as I will be leaving to go on tour this summer to offer my Rising Ever Upward workshops and intensive in eight cities across America, I am a ton of freaking fear.
It is the biggest trust fall of my life.
Before the work of Brené Brown and all the personal growth I have been doing lately, especially with Cassandra, I would have been paralyzed by these fears.
As the mental health therapist, I would have felt them, named them, and attempted to cope with them effectively to ensure I wasn’t sitting in them but rather with them.
Trusting that this work would allow them to pass.
And, then I would play it safe.
But at least, my fear wouldn’t be consuming me.
Or, would it be?
Because despite all this work, I would still be freaking stuck in the fear.
Instead, now, I choose faith (we all can).
Now, when I give myself permission to feel both sides, the fear and the faith, I walk into and create the healing and the freedom to choose.
The healing to change my relationship with my pain and past lessons.
The freedom to choose to live from love.
Because when we attach to the fear, it does not honor our sacred truth.
When we live from fear, our eyes and hearts will never be open to receive all the goodness that God (or the Universe or nature or whatever sustains your ‘something bigger than us’ stuff) has in store for us.
Walking into the muck of the complicated gray, of our fear and our faith, will awaken us to finding, fighting for, creating, and receiving our happiest life and biggest dreams.
So here I am, sitting on my orange couch, flanked by two of my three cuddly pups, with sweaty palms and a racing heart to say to you, “Come do this work with me.”
I guarantee it will change your life.
It has mine, and many others, like Meaghan,
I jumped at the chance to do the rising strong intensive immediately without much consideration. After I signed up I started questioning whether or not it would be worth the time and money – I mean, I’d already read the book, Justine had been working with me for a couple of years… How much more would I get out of this? Well, my skepticism couldn’t have been more wrong. I was shocked by what I uncovered and how often I use the tools now. Just reading the book is not the same – it is fabulous, but none of the concepts became a practice for me. Doing this without someone (Justine) willing to ask the really tough questions is not the same – we let ourselves off the hook too easily; Justine’s guidance helps you push a little further. Doing it without the rest of the group is not the same – they nod in agreement and understanding and they make you feel less alone in the struggle. So, emphatically – yes! It was so worth it. I cannot imagine anyone who wouldn’t benefit from this work.
Choose to change your life.
Join me, in feeling the fear and the faith, redefine your story, and walk into the complicated gray.
~~~
The Rising Ever Upward Tour kicks off in St. Louis July 12th and makes stops in Boise, Phoenix, Denver, Dallas, Detroit, Atlanta, and NY/Jersey/Philly. Visit www.daringinstl.com for more information.
