"When I dare to be powerful, to use my strength in the service of my vision, then it becomes less and less important whether I am afraid." (Audre Lorde)
“Go on – I dare you!”
Do you remember that childhood challenge?
Those words from the right bully or best friend could push us to do scary, unthinkable things…jump from crazy places, eat unspeakable things, venture into places we’d never dreamed. The vision, the desire to meet the challenge, sprouted up and grew right alongside our biggest fears. But somehow we got past our fear and went for it – we tried.
We jumped as high, ran as fast, swallowed as hard and swam as far as we could. We tapped into a hidden strength and felt a power we didn’t know we had until someone said, “I dare you.” We pushed ourselves through a limit, and then we saw ourselves in a new way. We became the Person Who Tried or The Person Who Did It. And magically, we were changed. Even though we thought we couldn’t. Even though we were scared.
What about now? Is there something you’d love to do…to try? Perhaps right now it’s just a possibility – a possible “you” who runs marathons or writes poetry or smiles or creates amazing things or forgives or learns or teaches or skydives? Do you have a vision of yourself beyond who you are today? What will push you - take you - beyond your fear (that same old childhood fear, all grown up) that you don’t have what it takes, that you can’t do it, you’d never make it?
How about re-thinking your self-image rather than assuming it can’t be done?
Can you make that dream, that vision, a reality?
Go on…I dare you!
(photo courtesy of Elaine MacCorkle)
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