Fearfully and Wonderfully Made

"I have often been afraid, but I would not give in to it. I made myself act as though I was not afraid and gradually my fear disappeared." Theodore Roosevelt

My weekend in Tennessee was absolutely fantastic. I have never felt more encouraged, inspired and motivated. The Champions were amazing and the speeches were heartfelt. It is safe to say I no longer suffer from being in a “mental funk.” I am ready to hit the ground running and take my fitness goals to the next level.

I was pretty proud of myself. I was a bit nervous going into the weekend as I have social anxiety issues. Fear will sometimes sideline me. I am not proud to admit that. Sometimes I will sit at a table and not speak to anyone because I am terrified of what others might say about me but for the most part it is because I am just too darn timid to speak up. But over the weekend, I made it a point to introduce myself to others and interact with them…. REALLY talk to them and listen to their stories AND in the process I made new friends and reconnected with old ones. I can’t say that I have overcome all of my social anxieties, but I am taking steps in the right direction.

I know the Tennessee Weekend has inspired me to go forward with one of my fitness goals, but before I go forward I want to make sure it is God’s will. The desire is there but I still have fear. Fear makes us do all kinds of counterproductive things. Fear makes us shy away from trying new things. Fear makes us procrastinate. Fear makes us hold back from giving a hundred percent. Fear makes us too shy to speak up when we should. Fear makes us not ask for what we deserve. Fear keeps us from meeting new people and enjoying a new friendship.

I DO NOT WANT TO BE FEARFUL! I want to trust God and let Him lead me down the paths HE wishes for me to take. Perhaps right now, this is all a lesson for me to learn to trust God. For now I will simply pretend I am not afraid and do the things that scare me anyway. With God’s help, I truly believe my fears WILL gradually fade.

Here are a few of the pictures from the TN weekend (to view them all, go to my Facebook acount). Enjoy!