Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/tinybuddha/~3/CQ27euVtaKk/
“Everything you want is on the other side of fear.” ~Jack Canfield
When I was in my twenties, I was confident and fearless, and I lived life to the fullest.
I remember going on vacation, and one of my friends was terrified to get on the plane. We had a four-hour flight ahead of us, and I thought her anxiety and fear of flying were ridiculous.
I thought she was being pathetic and selfish, and spoiling it for everyone else. I remember having a ‘quiet word’ with her and berating her for talking absolute nonsense. I had no empathy or compassion for her feelings. In hindsight, I wasn’t being a very good friend.
It’s funny how things can change. In June 2006, life as I knew it collapsed around me because a business I’d put my heart and soul into didn’t work out. I began to feel panicky, disconnected, scared, lost, weak, vulnerable, utterly ashamed, and broken.
Simple daily tasks I once found easy became a chore. Even more disturbing was the realization that everything I previously enjoyed had become a source of fear and dread, such as going away, meeting friends, driving, and ironically, getting on a plane.
Every minute of every day was filled with fearful thoughts; I overflowed with insecurities, self-doubt, and self-loathing….