A Quote That Made Me Think

Last week, I was reading in one of my church magazines, and there were three sentences that jumped off of the page and into my heart.  I had such a strong feeling that I even wrote it down and put it on my mirror in my home.  I would like to share it with you:

"Don't be afraid to make choices because you are afraid of making mistakes.  Don't be afraid to try new things.  In doing so, you will find joy in the journey."  Elder Carl B. Cook

I used to have an incredible fear of making mistakes.  I have overcome this fear quite a bit in recent times, but I feel like it still lingers (I think most people can relate with me on this).  It makes me wonder how much joy I missed out on because I was afraid to try new things?  Instead of dwelling on the past, I have decided to look towards the  future and remind myself that with each day, I can try new things and find my joy.  I understand that I probably won't want to do new things every single day (how exhausting!), but if I find something which interests me, I will try not to shy away from it.  

Since I was diagnosed with Social Anxiety Disorder over a year ago, I can see where my fear (fear of making mistakes, fear of trying new things) had held me back a lot.  Now that I have overcome a lot of my fears and anxieties (and I know that it will be an everyday endeavor), I have been shown the happiness and fulfillment that had been awaiting me... and hopefully awaits me still.

I have one more quote I want to share.  It is by Eleanor Roosevelt.  I bought this quote at a book store, and it looks very plain and simple, but speaks volumes (this is very characteristic of the woman who spoke them):

"Do one thing every day that scares you."

This is something I can easily accomplish every day (maybe not so easily?).  I have this hanging on my refrigerator, so I see it each morning.  It reminds me of the opportunities to be had, and how by conquering my fears, there are great rewards that can follow.  These rewards aren't always tangible.  They can be feelings of bravery, relief, kindness.  Or it can be the fact that I just learned something new, which would not have happened if I didn't face my fears.  I feel like this has been happening to me a lot lately.  Do I feel this way because I held back so much before?  In any case, I feel so much better now.  

Happy Tuesday to you and yours...