The Story Of The Frozen Peas
Hi Everyone,
Happy 2014! What a great year it is going to be. I love the end of one year and the beginning of another because it creates a moment that motivates me to take time to reflect on what I learned. I like to think about what worked, what didn't, and see if there are things I want to add or take away that will make the new year even better!
This weeks post is about a cute story that helps me to remember to take chances even if I am scared at first.
Last week Andy and I decided to take a plunge, literally and went scuba diving and snorkeling. As we were doing so a friendly local recommended that we grab some frozen peas from the local market and make our way to another beach where we would find even more fish than at our current spot. He did warn us though that the fish are so active and eager to grab the peas that they may come right up to our hands and try and take them out of the bag themselves. "Beware" he stated "they might bite!"
Andy jumped right in with peas in hand started throwing them near us and sure enough the fish began to gather around us, a few even jumped up out of the water in hopes they would get the goods! I at first kept my distance and decided to watch from afar because all I could think about was "oh no the fish might bite me; that would be painful, I don't want that." However as I began observing Andy and the fish I realized that it wasn't so scary after all. As I swam near what it was I feared, getting closer and closer to the fish, I saw that they weren't harming Andy they were simply trying to eat the peas, not our fingers!
As our bag of peas ran low, Andy offered me the last handful to get apart of the action. I am happy to say that I accepted and LOVED EVERY SECOND of it. If I would have let the fear overwhelm me I wouldn't have had the feeling of excitement and aliveness (which is much more enjoyable for me) that came as a result of taking a healthy risk.
I was able to see first hand that when I participated in the activity it was not nearly as bad as it was when I was watching from afar thinking about all the terrible things that could happen.
Moral of my story: When you find yourself nervous or fearful about doing something, you don't have to stay stuck in that feeling. You always have a choice: small steps or big steps. For some it may be easier to jump right in and try it out, and for others you may need to observe someone else successfully accomplish it first. Whatever your pace and process is know that participation is what gets you there! So in closing "Feel The Fear and Do It Anyway!" Make it a great NEW YEAR!
What will you feel the fear in and do it anyways?
As always thanks for being you and for reading this blog like you do!
Explore, Discover; Become! Your best self
Jessica Stickel