“Inaction breeds doubt and fear. Action breeds confidence and courage. If you want to conquer fear, do not sit home and think about it. Go out and get busy.”
Dale Carnegie
A few months ago I gave myself a challenge: I had to do one thing each day that scared me. It didn’t have to be anything big like sky diving or bungee jumping, but just one thing that fear usually kept me from trying. During that time I felt so liberated. I was saying yes to so many things I never would have had the courage to do before; driving to a new part of town, taking long walks and discovering new areas of town, meeting new people, agreeing to teach a yoga class for the first time.
Moving to Madison to teach at Dragonfly Hot Yoga was one of those leaps of faith. I loved yoga, loved doing yoga, loved writing about yoga, and I had toyed with the idea of one day teaching, but never allowed myself to venture beyond that idea. Then I got a call from Megan inviting me to move back to Madison, my old hometown. She believed in me and my ability so much that I soon began to believe in myself. I moved up to Madison and a month later I was teaching 16 classes a week.
I often tell my students in class, “Breathe into that delicious discomfort.” But going one step further, beyond the opening of the body and muscle stretching is that delicious discomfort of saying yes, going out and getting busy and casting fear aside.
I get so much inspiration from my students, some of them brand new to yoga. They walk into the studio, swallowing back their fear of the unknown, fear of the heat, fear of feeling out of place. Every single one of them succeeds just by walking in the door and many of them come back for more.
I just set a new goal for myself: TAKE four yoga classes a week. Am I scared that I won’t be able to make that goal? Yes. Will I let it keep me from trying? No.
Go out and get busy and embrace the delicious discomfort. I dare you.
