When my son was 7 he decided he wanted to play football. I truly didn’t prompt him in any way (that I can remember) but since football is my favorite sport, I was excited for his desire to play.
His mother on the other hand wasn’t quite so enthusiastic. Her maternal instincts kicked in and she began to ask all the questions you would expect from a loving parent…
- What if he gets hurt?
- Will he know anyone on the team?
- How big are the boys he’ll play with?
- Will his coach be mean?
- Will the boys be mean?
You know, the typical questions.
To be honest, they were good questions. After all, we didn’t want to throw our son into a smash-mouth, eat glass, take no prisoners, win at all cost kind of environment. Our son was barely 70 pounds and as we soon found out, he would play against some boys weighing more than twice what he did. But this was peewee football…had bad could it be?
We registered for the team, went to our first fitting where he was outfitted with new, top of the line equipment (I’m pretty sure it was better than what I wore for high school football). The team practiced twice a week, all summer before the season started in September and we had a blast.
The head coach was great and he allowed me to volunteer alongside him. The practices were well-run and the kids learned a lot about teamwork and the great game of football.
We were having blast.
Then came opening day! The first game of the season and my son’s first official football game.
“I learned that courage was not the absence of fear, but the triumph over it. The brave man is not he who does not feel afraid, but he who conquers that fear.” Nelson Mandela
As the players took to the field, I walked to our sideline and suddenly, out of nowhere my mind was flooded with questions…
- What if he gets hurt?
- How big are the boys he’ll play with?
- Will his coach be mean?
- Will the boys be mean?
Even after practicing all summer, out of nowhere, I was suddenly struck with fear…what if Alex gets hurt today? He’s one of the smallest on the team and it’s one thing to practice with your own team…it’s another to play against a real opponent.
For a brief moment, I was truly stricken with fear for my son’s safety. Not to mention my own, if his mother saw him get hurt.
Have you ever been there?
Have you suddenly been overtaken by fear?
What did you do?
“Everything you want is on the other side of fear.” Jack Canfield
Don’t Miss Out
How many times have you decided not to do something because you were afraid? You saw an opportunity but you got nervous and backed away from it. I get it; fear has a way of warning us against doing something…like it’s looking out for us. But I think that’s a big mistake.
We could have allowed the fear that Alex could have gotten hurt, keep him from playing football…but at what cost? Because he played…
- he learned new skills
- he learned to work as part of a team
- he learned to apply instruction
- he enjoyed competition
- he got stronger physically and mentally
- he learned the value of trying new things
- and he won the “Rookie of the Year” award. (I might have been more excited than he was about that)
If Alex had stayed on the sidelines he would have missed out on so much.
When we sit on the sidelines we miss out on so much too.
Q. Is fear holding you back from doing what you ant to do? Maybe we can learn somethings form a 7 year old
- listen to what your heart is telling you
- get input from others
- get all the information you need to make an informed decision
- strap on some gear and go hit something…in other words…TAKE ACTION!
The very thing you are afraid of may be the very thing you ought to do. In fact I suggest the fear you feel is often confirmation you should do it.
Feeling stuck? Not sure what to do next? Your life not where you want it to be? Life coaching can help. Contact me to arrange a free 45-minute discovery call. Let’s talk.
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