“Always do what you are afraid to do.”
— Ralph Waldo Emerson
I return this evening to an end of January post about facing fear. I envision a more reflective, more considered meditation on Ralph Waldo Emerson’s words.
I’m considering courage, a deliberate choice to eschew fear and anxiety, to plunge into a new adventure, the unknown, the creative risk, the possibility of creating a simpler and more distilled sequel to Rosslyn. A whirly-swirly storm of courage, mettle, moxie, valor,… Impotent words and notions made potent only when forged in action and commitment and determination and resolve.
Vowing to be intrepid in the shadow of trepidation feels bold — for a fleeting moment — but generates only the faintest confidence.
(Source: Face Fear)
Faint confidence, to be certain, is no insignificant matter. Talk between people, and within ourselves is how we prime the proverbial pump. Courting courage. Inspiring courage.
But the real work remains to be done. Decision. Action. Sustained action. Persistence. Endurance.
After almost two decades of nourishing sanctuary at Rosslyn, Susan and I are negotiating a dramatic voltafaccia, navigating a long anticipated and overdue (but challenging) plot twist.
It’s time to relinquish our sanctuary. It’s time to move on.
(Source: Face Fear)
Few decisions are as clear or as easy as desired. Often we waver. Often we postpone.
But no more.
We’re moving through a liminal space. An interstitial journey toward untethering. Toward undocking. Toward relinquishing Rosslyn, our oasis of seventeen years, and creating a new oasis, better tailored to this new stage in our lives.
We are doing what we’ve been — but no longer are — afraid to do. Let go. Move on. Embrace change. Be change. Change.
What do you think?