Fear, May I Have This Dance?

We all experience fear throughout our lives in different ways. The key part of this statement is we all experience fear.  Fear is not a sign of weakness or an emotion that should be pushed away. Instead, let’s consider inviting it into our lives for a dance or two.

Fear can be paralyzing and mind-numbing, but choosing to take just one initial step and dance with fear can be life-changing in many ways. Fear urges us to use our courage in difficult situations which can ultimately lead to personal growth and self-discovery.Photo by Studio Eiler @studioeiler

I have been thinking about this idea of fear a lot lately and how it truly is like a dance.  Sometimes we follow its lead and other times we face our fear and create our own choreography.

Fear can be paralyzing and mind-numbing, but choosing to take that initial step to dance with fear can be life-changing in many ways. Fear motivates us to use our courage in difficult situations. This can ultimately lead to personal growth and self-discovery. When I feel fear, I know that it’s because of something deep within me that I can choose to either ignore or work to overcome.

[ctt template=”2″ link=”SfpG3″ via=”yes” ]Fear motivates us to use our courage in difficult situations. This can ultimately lead to personal growth and self-discovery.[/ctt]

Since fear is so specific to each person, I wanted to keep this a little more personal and illustrate my own thoughts on fear as they rolled out of my mind onto my blank screen. Sharing my free-write in this post below makes me feel a little vulnerable, but it has ultimately helped me put into words how I dance with fear in my own life.

Fear can be paralyzing and mind-numbing, but choosing to take just one initial step and dance with fear can be life-changing in many ways. Fear urges us to use our courage in difficult situations which can ultimately lead to personal growth and self-discovery.

Fear is like a dance…

Fear can be rhythmic—
an up and down carousel of emotions.
It can be off-beat and messy
as I stumble and trip around the dark, sharp corners of life.
Fear makes me feel anxious, panicked, and discouraged,
and then at times can be thrilling, inspiring, and intoxicating.
Fear lurks in the background as I take a new chance or face the unfamiliar.
It lives in my imagination as my brain creates anxious shadows of uncertainty and missed opportunities, all while paving streets to the unknown.
Fear can cause me to spring into action in seconds,
or leave me frozen in my tracks as it continues our dance without me.
My deepest fears live inside dark caves of suffocating narrow spaces;
I dance by a single flicker of candlelight that keeps my hope and courage alive as I spin and careen my body towards the sunlight.
Fear accelerates its dance with the pounding of my heart and the quickness of my breath.
It helps me walk with caution, but think quickly on my feet.
Fear lives in the depths of my soul, causing me to engage in battles with my thoughts and perspectives.
Finally facing off with fear makes me feel strong and awakened, as if MY lead was followed in our dance.
I sway with strength and grace as I reach for the light switches and flip them up
illuminating the dark ballroom that was swallowed up in shadow.
I take one final stride, then bow my head in gratitude as I thank fear for this journey — this dance of self-discovery and perseverance.

Fear can be paralyzing and mind-numbing, but choosing to take just one initial step and dance with fear can be life-changing in many ways. Fear urges us to use our courage in difficult situations which can ultimately lead to personal growth and self-discovery.

We all dance with fear at certain points in our lives. Some of us dance with it every day. Our motions can range from rhythmic, controlled waltzes to interpretive dance where every single step represents an emotion and a dark story. No matter how many times we trip or slip we MUST keep dancing, for it is through our dance with fear that we find the strength and confidence to live our lives to their fullest potential.

How do you dance with fear in your own life?

Wishing you zest & light,
Stephanie

11 thoughts on “Fear, May I Have This Dance?

  1. Fear and anxiety do a fighting dance everyday. I try to win every time we do our little dual and 7 times out of 10 I win the battle.

    1. Thank you for your comment, Luci. Every win counts and you grow stronger each and every time. You rock, girl =)

    1. That’s so great, Christie, thank you for sharing!! I am also on this journey! Thank you for reading =)

  2. This is a beautifully raw and inspiring article. It’s perfectly timed! Fear can be either paralyzing or encouraging. It’s how we choose to respond to it that makes the difference. Keep on being fabulous!

    1. Thanks so much, Aarika, I truly appreciate your feedback! I love how you said it’s all in how we choose to respond that makes a difference. This is SO insightful and true! Thank you for reading and for sharing your thoughts!!

    1. Yes, I agree, Nadalie. Sometimes it all about just taking that first step onto the dance floor. Thank you for reading and for sharing your thoughts!

  3. I absolutely loved this post, especially your free write! You are very gifted, friend! This year has given me a lot of anxiety and Im working on not allowing it to take over. I loved how you wrote about fear as a dance- We do go back and forth so much, and I am working on not letting fear win!

    1. Thank you, Erin! We are definitely on the same journey and path! Every little win counts and sometimes we just have to take it day by day, hour by hour. Thank you for reading, friend!!

  4. Stephanie,
    Thanks for this very deep thought provoking free write!
    Fear, as you described can be many things but we must face it or as you said accept the dance. Life is the dance floor and knowing others are dancing too I will continue to dance. Thanks for the encouragement!

    Keep on…
    Judy

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