Take a chance

May 13, 2016

take-a-chanceI hope you enjoyed the diverse guest bloggers who were kind enough to share their posts here over these past two weeks! Today, though, my own posts are back!

Someone I know really well was talking with me the other day about important changes she wanted to make in her life. I’d asked her once, what are you afraid of? and on this day, she had the answer. She knew what was standing in her way.

When we see solidly-built walls standing in our way what we’re really seeing is fear.

Fear. It’s the thing responsible for keeping us from moving forward. It convinces us that treading water is just fine.

It keeps us stuck.

Hey, look, change can be difficult. It can be scary to give up the comfort of familiarity for the unknown.  Even if we’re stuck, at least we know what we’re stuck with.  The unknown is a different story and we don’t know it yet.

What if it doesn’t work out?

To that I can only say, what if it DOES?

So, ok. If staying where you are is ok with you, if you don’t feel that the potential that change could bring is worth the risk? By all means, don’t make that change. Stay where you are.

But if you’re tired of being stuck? if you think you’ll go crazy if you have to stay in your situation another minute, whatever it is?

Walk past that wall. Open the door to new possibilities.

Chances are, you’ll be happy with what you find.

But you’ll never know unless you take that chance.

Here’s some inspiration from ABBA.  And I’m on my way home! I’ll be back here on Monday, in person.  Don’t forget to come visit! Also, over the coming weeks I’ll be sharing a few posts and photos from my trip to Portugal. I hope you’ll tune in.  As usual, thank you so much for visiting, reading and commenting.

35 comments on “Take a chance
  1. Candy says:

    Fear has stopped me from doing many things. Starting a blog was a fear. Feels good overcome some fears.

  2. Leanne says:

    I am getting so much better at tackling things that I was afraid of. I play safe way too much and it’s cost me over the years. Now I just take a chance and have a go. It certainly worked with getting out of my soul sucking job and into a much better one, so the world is my oyster now days – definitely face the fear – it’s worth it!

  3. Fear absolutely can keep us stuck and stagnant. I thinka healthy dose of fear is just plain smart, but it’s imperative that we face it and strive to overcome it to get to better things.

  4. Kelly says:

    Yes, that’s me. I’m know I want my life to change, but sometimes the fear monster takes over. Every day I work on changing my mindset. Thank you for the great post!

  5. T.O. Weller says:

    Wow Carol … we must be doing that thing quantum physicists call entanglement. Five minutes ago, I confessed to fear over on SMARTLiving365.

    The thing is, the fear I struggle with is as a result of change. All that we’ve done in the last two years seems easy now, compared with what we’re trying to do now. Uprooting everything, making the move, rebuilding a new home … it’s all been in our own hands; within our control, aside from the odd rogue subcontractor. But it feels like our working lives are not in our control, at the moment.

    I’ve been able to keep my fears at bay until now, but they’re starting to grow strong and I know the heavy energy that comes with them is making everything more difficult. I’m exhausted.

    I think this is the part most people fear when they think of making a change — that moment when you realize that, despite your best efforts, it could go wrong. And, as we get older, we’re ever more aware of all the things that could wrong. Life experience can be a bitch sometimes.

    Okay … enough of that … back to shaking it off.

    • Barbara says:

      Tracy, keep shaking it off! If the worst that could happen isn’t someone being fatally hurt, keep moving forward. Moving and changing has been the backbone of my life, it seems, and I have to admit, each change was different but never killed me. Some changes are better than others but what’s the alternative? That’s the question I always ask myself.
      I’ll be here rooting for you!
      b

      • T.O. Weller says:

        Hey Barbara! Thank you so much!

        Moving and changing are generally great, aren’t they? I’d be bored without them. 🙂

        Truthfully, I think what I’m looking at here is an unresolved issue around money. I grew up in a home where fear of not having enough of it loomed large. It determined every decision and set the course for much of my father’s life.

        Every time I think I’m free of the fear, it comes back. It’s my arch nemesis; my Lex Luthor. But, I will prevail because, as you say, what’s the alternative?

        (Isn’t it neat to connect in the comments now that we’ve met face-to-face?!)

  6. Cori says:

    Weighing the pros and cons of a choice is a smart decision, and also sometimes a person isn’t in the right place in life to take advantage of this choice. Whole right choice, wrong time thing.

  7. FEAR is my nemesis. I am starting to crack the code however. We do need to keep reminding, keep stomping it out.

    • Rosemond says:

      Donna I’m there with you. Fear has been living with me for way too long it seems lately and clogging up so many things in my life I want to change.

  8. I like that you said it’s OK not to make a change because some people feel much better where they are. One the other hand, after reinventing myself many times, and multiple moves throughout my life, I’ve become easily adaptable. I walk through the doors all the time and love it.

  9. Sarah Bailey says:

    Fear is just the worst thing, so much I put off doing because I am fearful of what will happen should I fail. x

  10. adela says:

    Nice post. And great song to listen to. The video is a bit wonky, don’t you think?

  11. The best way for me to get around my wall is to write out my fear and burn it up. Then move on

  12. Jacqui Odell says:

    This is something I have to remind myself all the time. You never know unless you try!

  13. Andrea says:

    Take a chance? I don’t know ’bout that – but in my faith tradition (Christian), it’s called “stepping out in faith”…. 🙂

  14. Alana says:

    Sometimes, I think fear is the most dominating force in my life. Opportunities lost. Trips not taken (because I developed a fear of flying about 20 years ago and haven’t been on a plane since). It may have influenced my income, my retirement security. I’ve been able to move past fear when the alternative was even worse (like when my alternative to moving out of a slum was staying in that slum). But that usually doesn’t happen.

  15. I have learned to overcome my fears and become fearless life is too short to wait I just go and do it =)

  16. Lori says:

    Sometimes we forget that were the ones directing the drama that is our own life!

  17. Nancy Hill says:

    Fear. It is an ogre or a troll. I walk quickly over bridges, can’t resist opening doors, but there are times when I have to stop, stay home, go to my innermost room and just breathe and let the 90 year old walls of my home surround me, protect me, and allow me to be okay in the moment. I breathe through the fear that I may never be able to name and come out, unfold, and bloom inquisitively again, when the time is right. I have learned to trust myself.

  18. When I am afraid of something I usually run straight to it! I do not like fear having a say in my life.

  19. Elizabeth O. says:

    Our only real enemy from achieving our goals is ourselves especially when we make ourselves believe that there is something to fear. It’s definitely better to dive and take the risk instead of staying in your safe little corner, not knowing how much you can do or how much you can achieve.

  20. I do my best to live in the present, and look to the future when possible. You have to try things before you know if you like them or not.

  21. Nicole Escat says:

    Fear always stops us from doing what we want to do.I always push myself to forget about my fear and take the plunge.

  22. liv says:

    That’s one of my favorite Abba songs. And you’re absolutely right – sometimes you just have to break past the wall of fear and take the first step.

  23. Maya says:

    This post was right on time! You’ve gotta push on the fear towards your possibilities!

  24. Jessica says:

    Yes, yes, yes!!!

    Also, I started singing ABBA before I even started reading the post 😉

  25. Angie Scheie says:

    This was such a timely and encouraging post! Fear has a way of paralyzing and some risks are worth taking! Love it!

  26. Cindy says:

    I have dealt with & overcome a lot of fear in my 63 yrs. I have had migraine disease for 36 yrs. I’ve tried every up & coming treatment . BUT FEAR KEPT ME FROM TRYING BOTOX TREATMENT for migraine . When the last latest device came out I was on it days after FDA approval. No go. FINALLY I FACED MY BOTOX FEAR & had an excellent, conservative neuro/headache specialist do the treatment one week ago.
    WRONG… Cannot hold my head up, have to wear neck brace, terrible nausea every afternoon, cannot eat & SWOLLOW with out baby bite & water with each bite .
    In this case FEAR WAS MY FRIEND!!! Now I will live this way for approximately 3 MONTHS til it wears off!!! The protocol is 3 rounds of Botox every 12 weeks to see if it wil lessen migraine. NOT HAPPENING !! Migraine ,though daily are not horribly severe…and nothing like this!!!
    In this case FEAR was a gut response knowing I react terribly sensitive to any & all medication. Just screwed up my summer…bummer!!!!

  27. Roxy says:

    I’m not sure what’s worse….fear to progress/try or complacency. Both have that awful way of keeping you where u are. I know all too well how paralyzingly this can be.

  28. Lisa Rios says:

    Such an inspiring read. Fear is something which is so common with many of us, but I agree we need to take chances in life to as that will definitely open the door to so many new possibilities.

  29. All I kept hearing was the song; “Hold on.” HAHA. Change is scary, but it’s also exhilarating!!

  30. leslie rossi says:

    i feel this is me right now with approaching brands to work with. have to stop being scared.

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