FEAAAARRRRR!!!! Damn that MONK that sold his Ferrari!!!!!!

"The only limits on your life are those that you set yourself." And FEAR is one of those factors that creates limits, stopping us bold in even the most amazing tracks, by forcing us to back down from some of the very things we have wanted most in our lives just because we are scared of the unknown, the worst happening or just not being able to keep it together.

I know i know, I have been on a bit of a writing hiatus thanks to the holiday season and now here I am returning with a deep and crazy vengeance LOL. Its not my fault I SWARE!!! I blame it on that damn Monk who sold his Ferrari. Don't you all know him? If not its my new latest read, one that was suggested to me many years ago that I never seemed to pick up. Then on a holiday shopping trip to Chapters, I came across this Monk and decided to give him a chance. And now I am stuck, completely knee deep into this book and unable for the life of me to put it down - well with the exception of writing this post and cooking up a crazy Indian storm. While this book resembles stories like the Alchemist, it has a way of hitting home, since it is centred around a workaholic lawyer that is really similar to us Running Shoe Era folks - Someone who is in a constant race to obtain that next big thing.

And while it would seem that because we are so ambitious fears would never enter our mind, the truth is that a lot of times we are running from one thing to the next - that big move, the next big gig, the next promotion, the next big party, etc. - because if we stay in one place for too long our fears kick in and we are immediately paralyzed. And you all may think I am crazy for assuming we have fears that can literally paralyze and cause us  to act in crazy, unimaginable ways so that we can avoid looking in the mirror at ourselves and saying I AM SOOOO F***ING SCARED, but it's true!!!!! And I will be the first to admit that I AM DEAD SCARED OF A LOT OF THINGS. I mean life isn't easy and its scary and I find the older I get, it's harder to live like a naive child that's soo open, trusting and unafraid.

There are so many things that cause us to get scared - the future, commitment, history repeating itself, childhood scars not going away, responsibility, confrontation, life, you name it. And the older we get, let's face it our baggage affects us. Everything we have gone through in our lives, leading up to this very moment has scarred us, it's made us afraid to trust new things, people and places that we know deep down are good, plough through the hard times and really give everything around us a chance. And all these scars do, is hold us back from having the things we want most in our lives. Instead we hide in our ambitions and goals that bring materialistic things to light and hope that we can push things, people and places away as we run from our fears for as long as we can.

BUT THAN BAM!!! Like a massive slap in the face, your fears hit you when you least expect it and than what? Will you just spend your life running and pushing things away? Because at some point it has stop.  

So with realizing that at some point it has to stop, I have made 2013 my year to be completely and utterly fearless. I'm still a bit shaky - come on its only January 2nd!!!! - but have made some shareable progress that I hope inspires you all:

- I have FACED my FEAR of Jean Shoppping!!! WOOOT!! And even came out of the store with jeans in a size I haven't worn since I was 12. DOUBLE WOOT!!! (Insert crazy happy dance here, lol). And likely found a new shopping obsession.

- I have FACED my FEAR of Using Points!!!!! This was a tough one, I tell you. But I did it. I cashed in close to 1k worth of points between airmiles and Deloitte stand-up points to buy me the perfect lap top that I have always wanted that will keep me writing through the Clinton Foundation, NYU and anywhere else the world plans to take me. Now understanding all the lingo that I need to in order to buy this lap top is a whole other story - GLADLY open to help and suggestions here. LOL

- I have fearlessly decided to believe in the good in all people, including myself. We all make mistakes, say things we don't mean, act in erratic ways, and do things we wish we didn't but I have chosen to believe in people's genuine nature including my own. Because I know when I say I'm sorry, I love you, thank you and all that other sappy stuff, I mean it, which leads me to believe others do as well.  

- And lastly for now, I have decided to fearlessly believe in the things I choose because I just know, like I've never known before that some things are just meant to be.

And with that I leave you all. May you all realize that you are not alone in your fears and that they are definitely shared. Embrace them, share them and do the things you need to do to make things right, because running from them will have to stop at some point, so why not be crazy, act impulsive, be fearless and just believe :)

Decide that you want it more than you are afraid of it. -- Bill Cosby

- Now back to the Monk :)