Happy Halloween!

I am always sad to say goodbye to summer.  I miss the long, sunny days, warm weather, and grilling out on the deck.  However, I really love fall!  I love the gorgeous fall colors and the crispness in the air.  I love being able to sit by the fire and cook up our favorite stews and casseroles.  And I love Halloween.  For me, it's a fun holiday, an opportunity to think of transitions, and a great time to address one of our biggest and most heartfelt emotions:  fear.

What exactly is fear?  According to the dictionary, it is "a distressing emotion aroused by impending danger, evil, pain, etc., whether the threat is real or imagined (emphasis mine)."  In fact, sometimes it can be very difficult to differentiate between fear and excitement.  Have you ever gone on a big scary roller coaster, or gone skydiving? 

Dan Brown said, "Men go to far greater lengths to avoid what they fear than to obtain what they desire."  Rather than allowing fear to become your driving force, consider it to be one of your advisors.  When it offers its opinion, ask yourself what's really going on.  Is this situation truly dangerous, or is it simply unfamiliar?  Then you are able to make a decision based on your experience, intellect, or instinct.  As Marie Curie said, "Nothing in life is to be feared, it is only to be understood.  Now is the time to understand more, so that we may fear less."  Understand that most of the time, fear is simply False Evidence Appearing Real.

What are you afraid of?  Write down your biggest fears in all areas of your life:  relationships, finances, health, business, etc.  What is showing up for you?  How do these fears stop you?  Once you have identified them, decide what actions you are going to take.  Decide to be courageous.  Tony Robbins says, "It is in our moments of decision that our destiny is shaped."  The question is whether you choose to decide that for yourself or if you choose to let fear make that decision for you.  Choose wisely.

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