They Dared Me To Hold A Snake

I've written a lot on this blog about the many things I'm afraid of and how much of a scaredy cat I am.   As I've written these posts it's really become evident to me that this weight loss journey has not only redefined me physically, but psychologically as well.  Along the path of shedding the pounds, I've had to face a lot of fears of mine head-on: fear of the unknown, fear of pain, fear of failure, fear of getting hurt, fear of doing something new, fear of being embarrassed.   It has not been an easy process, but if you beat away at that frightened wall inside yourself every day then no matter what fears make up your bricks, eventually that wall will start to crumble bit by bit.  One of my husband's favorite authors, Frank Herbert, wrote the following:

"I must not fear.
Fear is the mind-killer.
Fear is the little-death that brings total obliteration.
I will face my fear.
I will permit it to pass over me and through me.
And when it has gone past I will turn the inner eye to see its path.
Where the fear has gone there will be nothing.
Only I will remain."
- Frank Herbert

Fear can trap you and keep you locked into an unhealthy state. When the pounds started coming off, I noticed that I started getting braver.  I became more assertive in life and almost down right aggressive sometimes in the gym as my workout partners can attest to.  It was this new state of being that caused me today on a trip to PetsMart to rise to the challenge when my cousins dared me to hold a snake.

Silly me thought, "oh he matches my outfit."

The old me wouldn't have come within fifty feet of that snake, but something in the new me has risen up with the same spirit that loves to pound the punching bag and to shout back at anybody and the inner voice that doubts, "you're not going to tell me what I can't do!"

So yeah, I'll hold a snake.  What I won't hold anymore is the fear of being unsuccessful, or the fear of trying something new, or the fear of getting hurt.  Those fears are far more dangerous than any little old python.