 "You gain strength, confidence, and courage by every experience in which you really stop to look fear in the face." Eleanor Roosevelt When I was a kid growing up in the pre-cable generation, the one movie that ushered in the spring was The Wizard of Oz. Each March my friends and I would anxiously wait for the time when we could sit in front of the TV reliving the fabulous adventures of Dorothy, the Scarecrow, the Tin Man, and of course the unforgettable Cowardly Lion. As a child, I never quite grasped the true meaning behind the movie. Seeing the vivid colors after Dorothy’s house came to rest in the Land of Oz was spectacular. After all, one could truly grasp the fairy tale-like qualities from the minute Dorothy donned the ruby red slippers until she ventured back home. So you may be wondering what in the world does The Wizard of Oz have to do with SparkPeople? Just to give you a little background on how I come up with many of my blog ideas--when one is out on the road for well over 2 hours, it requires lots of imagination and thinking on my part in order to pass the time which allows me the opportunity to ponder life’s dilemmas. So, during my 14 mile run last Saturday, for some strange reason, I began to think about this movie and all the great characters. The one character to whom I was drawn to the most, not only as a kid but as an adult, was the Cowardly Lion. He reminded me a lot about myself. For years I was so scared to try anything new. However, my greatest fear was the fear of failing which kept me from discovering who I was truly meant to be. It wasn’t a paralyzing fear per se, but it did cause me great anxiety to the point where it kept me from even trying in the first place. If I didn’t think I could be successful, I never embarked on the journey. That all changed with SparkPeople. As I have traveled on my own journey, I realized exactly what the Scarecrow, Tin Man, and Cowardly Lion learned at the end of the movie and that is, we all possess the powers within our lives to change and face our fears and doubts. I learned that I have always possessed the courage to get me beyond life’s obstacles; I just had to find it within myself. I once read that courage is not the absence of fear but instead courage is facing our fear head on with our actions. We cannot and should not allow fear to stand in our way of becoming healthy. We all have the courage within ourselves to change, even if that means we have others to guide us along this great journey. I hope you will follow your own yellow brick SparkRoad!!! Has fear kept you from meeting your goals? How have you overcome your own fears? Do you have the courage to change? |
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