the other side of fear

In life there are things that scare us. Things as simple as auditioning for a role, as adventurous as skydiving, or as mysterious as falling in love.

It's scary when you have no control over something. When you don't know the outcome. When it seems the path set before you is dark and you have no idea where it leads.

You know there will be twists and turns. You know there will be uphill climbs. You know there will be pitfalls. But you can't think about those things. You can't think about what might go wrong. A million things might go wrong.

But a million things might go right. With great risk comes great reward.

"Everything you want in life is on the other side of fear."

So what do you do when you're eye to eye with fear? Stay focused on the task at hand. Whether you're acting, jumping out of a plane, or falling in love (which can feel like jumping out of a plane), take it one step at a time.

"Your word is a lamp for my feet, a light on my path." Psalm 119:105

As with all things in life, we don't know what's at then end of the road. We don't need to. All we need to see is one step in front of us.

In acting, all you need to do is be present with your scene partner. You can't think about what your line is later in the script. You must constantly be actively listening and reacting.

If you're skydiving, you have to take it one step at a time. You can't give yourself a reason to bail. And you can't focus on the landing, or you will miss out on the incredible feeling of the fall. Enjoy the ride.

Relish every moment.

If you're in a new relationship, it's so easy to rush into things. But as with all experiences in life, if we rush through them, if we are constant looking toward the end result, focusing on the destination, it's going to come too soon. Instead, if we can truly be present and live in the moment, we can almost slow down time a bit.

The end will come. We will reach our destination. The question is, will we let fear hinder us from walking down the path, from experiencing great things? Will we look back and wish we had embraced the journey?