what are you afraid of?

sadie nardini

confession: i’ve been putting off a few business to-dos.  i’ve had it on my calendar to contact some influential and successful yogis – one being sadie nardini, founder of core strength vinyasa.  yet, despite my intentions, i’d push “contact sadie” from week to week, always blaming my schedule for not allotting me the time to reach out to her.  but, in truth, my schedule didn’t prevent me from emailing her, my mind did – and more specifically, my fear of rejection and the unknown.

when we’re young, we’re scared of the monsters under our beds, but as we mature, we’re scared of the monsters in our own minds – and we find ourselves plagued by a whole new set of ghoulish mental afflictions.  fear of loneliness, rejection, the unknown or failure can paralyze us, convincing us it’s better to stay exactly where we are (stuck on the proverbial hamster wheel), rather than confront what we’re scared of.  our fear keeps us in a box – making our life small by binding us to patterns of thought-processes that no longer serve us.

we diet because we’re afraid of losing control and gaining weight.

we jeopardize relationships because we’re afraid of being vulnerable.

we beat ourselves up when we’re not “perfect” because we’re afraid to fail.

sound familiar?  we’ve all been there…

but the really cool thing that happens when you face your fears is that you learn that they’re not as bad as your mind envisioned.  and, you also give yourself a chance to learn and grow.  when you choose to listen to your innate inner wisdom instead of your fearful mind chatter, you put yourself on the path of growth and evolution.  and, the more you cultivate that voice, the happier and more fulfilling your life will become.  anxieties about your body will melt away.  worries about your work performance will subside.  and obstacles that used to appear to stand between you and your best self will no longer be unconquerable.  because you realize that moving outward from your most authentic self will ultimately bring nothing but good to you.    

oh yeah, and not only did sadie nardini email me back with a beautifully composed and thought-provoking email, she even gave me a shout out in a piece she wrote for the popular site, elephant journal.  so cool! 

check out sadie’s post "can money & spirituality mix?" {here}

today’s meditation prompt for your journal or cushion:

what fear keeps cropping up in your life?

are you ready to confront it?  if not, why?

if you’re ready to move beyond it, what action can you take?