I’m joining in today for the last week of A Playful Day’s blog challenge: gratitude.
I chose BRAVE as one of my ‘words for the year’ for 2015 because I have a tendency to get caught up in fear when there are big, unknowable things looming ahead. I’m great in a crisis or when face-to-face with a challenge, but it’s worry about the future, about things I can’t control, or (worse!) decisions that I can control but have yet to make, that wear me down. I was once described by my grad school advisor as ‘a swirling vortex of negativity’ when I was in such a mood and I hate to say it, but he wasn’t wrong.
New project says, “Don’t worry, be happy!” Click for Rav page.
In an attempt to escape such a vortex, I remind myself that I should be thankful for this fear because it means I have something worth losing. Fear is not often associated with gratitude, but the kind of fear I’m talking about is the kind that one is lucky to have. I am not fearing hunger, danger, or imminent death. I’m fearing the abundance of choice, the luxury of different paths ahead, and the beautiful, many-faceted burden of love. Thus, I intend to face the coming months with gratitude, courage, and perhaps just a little less caution so that my life is ruled by joy and acceptance (so hard to do) instead of fear.
What a lovely way to look at your fear. Two sides to ever coin – huh? I too tend to be over cautious so can identify with what you say. So thank you for this post, I will think on and be more grateful for what my fear is concerned about me losing.
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Thank you, Bekki. 🙂 It’s always nice to hear that I’m not alone in my thought patterns!
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Your new project colors are beautiful. DON’T WORRY BE HAPPY
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I love it when our projects smile back at us! I’m a pretty cautious person by nature. It helps that I have a partner who embraces change and makes me step outside of my comfort zone. Just think of how daring we can be if we lived life like how we knit … fearlessly casting on for the next project without a thought of the outcome and just enjoying the ride 🙂
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I love that idea, knitting as life motto!
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fear is a terrible thing, it keeps us down if we let it. I’m glad that you picked Brave as your word- it’s important to try to turn your mind to more positive, thoughts- positivity is an act of bravery.
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“positivity is an act of bravery” <– You are exactly right! That is a poetic and inspiring way of thinking about things.
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