"I'm selfish, impatient and a little insecure. I make mistakes, I am out of control and at times hard to handle. But if you can't handle me at my worst, then you sure as hell don't deserve me at my best." - Marilyn Monroe
So you know I couldn't stop gushing about the book My Feet Aren't Ugly by Debra Beck. I want to tell you about another little exercise that I learned from the book. The instructions were plain and simple - make a list of the things you are afraid of. It's not something I think about that much. The first two were easy - worms and motorcycles. Silly, I know. But they are real enough to me. Then I started to think a little deeper - and realized I'm a bit of scaredy cat! I'm afraid of getting fat. I'm scared of being unattractive or unloved. And I'm scared I'll turn out to be a nobody. Maybe that's just me and I'm completely crazy. But I don't think so.
The funny thing is, what I'm afraid of is not really living a good life. Which is admirable enough. I love life, and I want to make the most of it. But by being afraid of these things, you hold yourself back. Having these fears doesn't stop anything from happening, and in fact, they can turn into something pretty ugly of their own. Eating disorders, for example, are based on fear - fear of gaining weight, fear of losing control. If you, like me, are too scared about being uncool or unpopular or whatever, then life won't really happen for you. And believe me, Fab Gals, life won't wait. Worrying does not slow down the process.
I probably won't ever get over my fear or worms or ride a motorcycle. That's okay with me. But slowly and surely, I'm going to release my fears - and for once, just live. I hope you don't let your fears hold you back either.
What things, big or small, are you afraid of? How has it affected you? Leave a comment to let me know (see the instructions on the left panel).
Hello Fab Gal, it's Debra, author of My Feet Aren't Ugly. I saw your post and had to respond. Fears are real, and if we don't walk through them we become them. Every time we walk through our fears we become more empowered. Try it on a small level.
In my book I talked about when I was afraid of looking stupid in front of people, so I went to the mall and did cartwheels. People were starring and clapping. It was exhilarating, and empowering. So, look at your fears and take them one by one and do something that helps you move through them.
Hey, Is My Feet Aren't Ugly one of your favorite books yet? Glad to connect with you Fab Gal, love the site. Debra myfeetarentugly.com
Wow, thanks! If you can't tell, I love your book! I completely agree - fears are a very real thing, but overcoming them makes you feel 1 million times better. Thanks for the awesome advice! xoxo The Fab Gal
Hello Fab Gal, it's Debra, author of My Feet Aren't Ugly. I saw your post and had to respond. Fears are real, and if we don't walk through them we become them. Every time we walk through our fears we become more empowered. Try it on a small level.
In my book I talked about when I was afraid of looking stupid in front of people, so I went to the mall and did cartwheels. People were starring and clapping. It was exhilarating, and empowering. So, look at your fears and take them one by one and do something that helps you move through them.
Hey, Is My Feet Aren't Ugly one of your favorite books yet? Glad to connect with you Fab Gal, love the site. Debra
myfeetarentugly.com