When you hear that it’s October, what comes to mind? Colder weather? Pumpkin spice everything? Tricks and treats?
Tons of candy?
In addition to those things, I also think of Halloween and haunted houses. I’m not a fan of haunted houses. Mainly because I can’t prevent myself from being scared. If something jumps at me when I don’t expect it (and sometimes when I DO expect it) I scream like an ax murderer is trying to kill me.
And I do mean scream! Think Hollywood-horror-movie quality screams.
I don’t have to be in a haunted house, either. If someone comes home, and I don’t realize it, they can easily startle me and make me shriek. Sometimes they do it on purpose. Gotta love family!
It’s OK to be Scared
Fear, and our reaction to it, is natural. It’s our brain tapping into our instinctive fight or flight mechanism. It’s trying to keep us safe, and on a very basic level, keep us alive.
Some people enjoy the rush of adrenaline that fear ignites. Others, like me, not so much.
But fear is a necessary component of our personal growth and journey. If you never do anything that pushes you, then you’ll never grow. If you don’t face your fears, you’ll always be afraid. Sometimes when there’s no need to be.
Jump in Fear and INTO Fear
I made a decision a long time ago that if something scared me, I’d examine it. If I felt the fear was irrational or “stupid” then I’d force myself to do it. I didn’t want to be a slave to my fear and potentially miss out on something great.
This resolve has helped me accomplish things I’d never imagined I could.
It’s also led me into some really creepy haunted houses. And whenever I venture into a haunted house, I preemptively apologize to the person in front of me. Because I know I’m going to get scared, and I know I’m going to scream.