Beat Down Fear!
by Lynesha McElveen
Fear. It is a word that everyone experiences in different ways. Most of us have things that we are afraid of and some of these things even date back to childhood, i.e. the dark, bugs, even clowns. Although fear is a natural emotion, it is very important we don’t let fear stop us.
I, like others, have my own set of fears. One of them is the fear of rejection. This fear does not relate to me personally as much, but it definitely relates to me professionally and to my businesses. For example, I fear not helping others positively change their lives because I get butterflies when I speak in front of crowds.
I also struggle with the fear of failure, the fear of success, and the fear of it being “too late.” I never want to wake up one morning, full of regrets, and saying to myself, “I should have pursued modeling” or “Why did I give up teaching financial literacy after my first event,” or “Why didn’t I push harder for Cheer on the Move.” These are the reasons I have chosen to push myself beyond my fears. I purposefully place myself in uncomfortable situations and force myself to rise to the occasion.
Last Friday, I placed myself in two difficult situations and was able to “beat down” fear, and it really felt great! One situation, I was received with open arms, the other… not so much. But the important thing is, I didn’t let fear have the last word.
On today, especially, I challenge us all to look at ourselves, evaluate our fears, and face them head on.
If Martin Luther King, Jr. didn’t face and “beat down” his fear and the fears of others, many of us wouldn’t enjoy the rights and privileges we have today!
