Lost and found in Khajuraho, India.
You have to be fearless in life.
This is usually what I say to myself before taking a leap or a risk or a jump. What I say to myself before a life altering moment or an earth shattering experience, one that will ultimately change the way I see the world.
Many years ago my best friend Patricia gave me a necklace. It reads fearlessness in Sanskrit (points to @Pattymayo116). So I had a definition — a strength in a word. I take this word with me wherever I go, packed neatly next to my passport, inside my Burton backpack; Hidden under my pillow next to my Swiss Army knife. As a shield, protection, from outside eyes but also, more importantly, from inside ones.
I create, but I am not an artist. I climb, but I am not a mountaineer. I fly, but I am not a pilot. I write, but am I a writer? (Rhetorical question, don’t answer that). I try, and often I don’t succeed. But sometimes, sometimes, I do and it takes more to accept those moments, and let them sink in, than all of the failures in the world. It takes strength to understand your strengths and know what you’re capable of. For me, that part can be excruciating. It can be terrifying, and why? I do not know.
But there’s one thing I do know. In this life, you have the chance to be whomever you want. You have a chance to do whatever you want. And in truth, the only thing stopping you, from being you, is you.
I’ve seen scares in my life. I’ve visited jails (not for me, I’m not that badass); I’ve been face-to-face with a gun (I flirted my way out of that one). I’ve seen addictions and jealousy and stories that unfolded before my eyes, stories that I was merely a small, inconsequential part of. I’ve had my ass kicked, and I’ve been forced to let the fear in. And I let it in, but only for a second, just for a moment, before I kick its ass right back out. Maybe these moments have made me tough (yeah, what!) but mainly, they’ve made me smarter, more open, more capable and aware of what I can handle.
And I always under estimate what I can handle. That’s a fact.
See, no matter where I go, how far I travel, it’s always doubt that stands in my way. It makes you question yourself, second guess yourself, get down on yourself. But doubt can also make you take a step back, take a closer look, and come back with better answers; question your own decisions, but then let your gut lead the way. And it’s in these moments, when we #shownofear, that doubt fails its mission.
Fearlessness, as you will, will always win… on the river with a Jack and a 9, but still a bloody victory.
Going after what you want is an art form, and being fearless is a gift. But both are attainable, and accessible if you allow it. It’s about standing your ground, and fighting for what you believe to be true; only questioning yourself in hopes to learn and come back with a better game plan; only wondering if you can handle it, in order to handle it better. These to me are the pillars that I build my life on. The ones that push me in the direction of discovery: ready, set and fearless.
Jumping out of a plane is not easy. Trekking through the Himalayas is not always fun. Running, sprinting down a dark and lonely path is often terrifying. It’s a challenge; every second of life is a challenge. So rise to the occasion.
Let’s do this.