2018 was the year I faced my fears. As an empath with anxiety I had allowed my fears to control me for too long. I was sick of being paralyzed by my inner demons. Enough was enough.
My first step was quitting my job. I had been working for the same company for three years. I had received three promotions and could have continued climbing up the ladder, but I was deeply unhappy.
I struggled to show up every day for a job that paid the bills, but was not at all aligned with my purpose. It was eating away at my spirit.
After much deliberation with my husband and a plethora of nudges and intervention from the Universe, I made the leap. I was now in a liminal state, watching my path transform before my very eyes. My next step was to overcome my fear of flying.
And I mean that literally. My husband has the opportunity to travel internationally for work. One of the reasons I quit my job was so that I could join him. While traveling is almost every person’s dream I am embarrassed to admit that it wasn’t always mine.
I think my plane phobia is past-life related which would explain why it’s so irrational and gripping. In the beginning it took all of my resolve to go through with it.
Our first international flight was to Tahiti, an exotic and breathtakingly beautiful destination. Despite my excitement for our upcoming adventures, the entire eight hour flight my body was tense with anxiety and my heart fluttered fearfully. There was definitely a tear-filled moment or two especially when we encountered turbulence.
Will flying ever be fun for me?
Maybe not
But I have grown so much as a person deciding to get on that metal bird anyway. I have learned that I can trust the Universe and my ability to breathe through anything.
Tahiti is one of the most magical places I have ever been fortunate enough to visit. I feel such a strong connection to the Earth there. A Oneness with the sky, the ocean, the mountains, the sun, the flowers, the animals. The illusion of Separation is lifted in Tahiti.
My husband and I decided to take facing fears a step further while we were there and embarked on a snorkeling excursion that involved swimming with manta rays and sharks (and not the kind in cages). Somehow this was much more comfortable to me than flying 😉 Go figure!
The only part that gave my stomach butterflies was the moment before I jumped into the shark-infested waters. That aside, it was a calm, meditative experience bonding with the sharks. It is one of my most treasured memories.
Currently, I am facing my fear of being a business owner. I am figuring out what that means for me and what steps I can take to be successful as an empath in business. There is a lot of learning involved as it doesn’t come as naturally to this feminine being as say… swimming with sharks haha.
But that is part of the journey and I can’t wait to see where it takes me.
Facing my fears is one of the best decisions I ever made and it is something I continually choose to do. I would be lying if I said that it was easy and fun. It can be emotional and raw and you may not succeed the first time. But that’s okay.
Trust yourself and your ability to succeed, to overcome any obstacle.
The more you face your fears the more you will realize that you are stronger than you ever thought possible.
