LIFE - #1 F.E.A.R.

Friday, January 18, 2008 9:02 AM

Good Morning!  After a nice holiday break and some technical difficulties, it's nice to be with you again!  My musings today are about fear.  Usually, when I'm afraid of something, I avoid it at any cost.  I come by it honestly - my mom is the same way.  One of her biggest fears is taking her car through the inspection lanes for registration.  Now, as I'm sure all of you know, that is NO BIG DEAL.  You drive through an inspection lane, give the attendant your registration card, turn on your blinkers, headlights, windshield wipers, honk the horn, say thank you....and drive away.  For some unknown reason, mom panics every time and just won't take her car in.  My sister and I take turns doing it for her every couple of years.  Silly, right?

Well, when I think of it, I was full of fear when I stumbled on this very website.  You know what I'm talking about don't you?  

• "What if they are lying and are just going to keep my money?"
• "What if I can't do it myself?"
• "What if it doesn't look as good in reality?"
• "What if it's nasty hair?"
• "What if someone finds out?"

I won't go on, we all go through it and some stay paralyzed by that FEAR.  Unable to act, they stay trapped in that state forever wondering...."What if?"

Here is a little tip I learned from my grandmother.  It's an acronym you must remember forever after you read it here.  Are you ready?

F = FALSE

E = EXPECTATIONS

A = APPEARING

R = REAL

Almost every fear I have now, I analyze it using this acronym.  Let's use my mom as an example.  She's scared of registering her car - actually terrified.  To her, it's debilitating.  To us?  It's just a necessary duty we check off the list for the day.  Her expectations are false because as we all know, there is nothing to be afraid of!  No big, bad wolf lurkes behind the door in the inspection lanes!  So her fear is just that - a false expectation appearing real.  

Those of us who overcame our fear of wearing hair are here to tell you that maybe you are suffering from the same predicament.  

I can safely say that it was scary for me to start wearing hair, but that fear wasn't real.  I used too much energy conjuring up every possible disaster I could imagine. All that fear for and waiting for nothing. 

What are you afraid of?  It may not be wearing hair, ordering hair, or even car inspections....but whatever it is, I'd be willing to bet that if you see your fear as a:

FALSE EXPECTATION APPEARING REAL

that F.E.A.R. just may disappear......

Good luck and have a great hair day!

Babe