Courage is something we all like to think we have in abundance. Whether that is true or not depends on the person. Courage isn’t having a lack of fear, but rather facing fear head-on. A courageous person overcomes fear to accomplish his or her goals.
Most of us harbor at least one fear of something. While I’ve conquered most of my fears, I still suffer from terrible anxiety of large crowds. My heart races, my palms sweat, and my vision goes into a weird mode where I don’t see people as individuals, but rather a sea of obstacles. I’m the crazy woman at the grocery store searching frantically for the aisle that has no one in it, so I can race through the building and get out as soon as possible. I’ve actually looked right at members of my family and not seen them when I’m in people avoidance mode.
I don’t let my agitation stop me from doing anything I truly want to accomplish. It takes me a while to work up the courage, though. It took me well over a year to talk myself into attending my first writer’s conference. When I finally went, I was a mess. I paced for a good hour before I finally got hold of myself and walked from my hotel room to the conference location.
Once through the door of the conference room, I had to force myself to go talk to some strangers. Nothing is as terrifying for me as walking up to a complete stranger and introducing myself. I thought my heart was going to beat right out of my chest. However, by the end of the conference, I had made a couple new friends and was more comfortable.
I now attend that conference four times a year. I’ve made many friends there, and I’m extremely pleased I finally wrestled my anxiety into submission long enough to experience the beauty that only a group of like-minded people in the same room can create.
We all experience fear once in a while. It’s a normal human emotion. How we deal with that fear is what matters most. We can let it defeat us, or we can gather our courage and take charge.
There are those people in this world who fear for their lives and personal safety. There are too many scenarios to count. I in no way want to detract from or belittle their struggles. My social anxiety is nothing compared with those who suffer from the atrocities that still abound. I wish those people courage, safety, peace, and resolution.
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