Pushing past stark fear and expanding your courage

Well! Yesterday was a rather fascinating workout in one of my favorite activities. To make a long story short, I knew beyond a shadow of a doubt I’d be utterly decimated, that knowledge caused a massive upwelling of fear, and yet I found it within myself to push past it and challenge my own boundaries of personal courage.

Sounds dramatic, no? But wow, once I had recovered, I realized….never before in my life had I had to deal with such a thing. I was shown (blatantly shown!) that even if you want to give up/run away, you CAN muster up the fortitude to continue…and that’s a gift that’s mighty precious indeed.

There is no such thing as a problem without a gift for you in its hands. You seek problems because you need their gifts. — Richard Bach

I think people also seek challenges because they want to test themselves to the utmost; I know that’s one reason why I throw myself whole-heartedly into karate.

This is gold to teach your kids!! On the way home yesterday, my kids commented how I was obviously not myself (they were quite worried actually), so I took advantage of that to explain everything that had happened to me internally (ie, all the internal discussions, the fear, the courage, etc.). That led to a conversation about how you must never give into fear (because you might your own sole survival tool) and how you must always give yourself permission to break your own personal preconceived boundaries of self.

Everything is a teaching moment!! ‘course, I’d much prefer my teaching moments to be when I’m actually alive and coherent…but hey. It made a huge impression on my kids (if my what-used-to-be-big-and-fat mom can do it, I can too!).

I am grateful to the Universe and my guardian angels to give me these experiences in my life.

Time to start the morning,

Barbara

ps – do you like guardian angels? Here are some neat ones: