Storm's Sharebook 

I've been keeping a journal of my "values" -- watching, in my own life, to see what it is that I truly value. As I read through it this morning, I noted that I'd written down "I value living fearlessly" in there at some point.

This past weekend has provided several opportunities to examine whether my life really followed along with what I valued or not, and I am pleased to say that the responses were mixed, but with a little work, all of them were converted to a place where I can truly say that I live my 'value'.

In the first example, I responded to the situation first with fear, and had to go back and adjust my response when I realized what was motivating my contribution to the situation. My son is engaged. His future mate's family and his own stepmother are putting a lot of pressure on the pair of them to get them to marry quickly. I, on the other hand, would prefer to see them wait a while, and I counseled my son to that effect over the weekend... rather vehemently, in fact. In review, however, I realized that I was afraid they were too young and too unprepared for the challenges of marriage to think about actually going through with it yet. This morning, I examined my conversation with him, and realized that, because of my fear, I was not supporting his and her capacities to make decisions as the adults that they are. I actually called him, and told him that I loved him, and that I knew that they would make good decisions, and that I would be supportive of them doing whatever they needed to in order to have a peaceful, loving start to their lives together. To me, this is part of living fearlessly -- living and counseling others in such a way where I do not let my own fears keep myself or others from progressing and making decisions to bring joy to their own lives.

In another incident that pushed my buttons, however, I did much better. Over the weekend, my little Honda scooter was stolen. It happened in broad daylight, and disappeared after having been parked in the same parking place for almost a year. I didn't panic, though. I placed the police report, and spoke to the insurance company. I don't know if the loss of the machine is covered on our insurance, but it doesn't really matter. In the end, everything will work out just the way that it is supposed to, and I believe that in my heart. I don't know why the machine changed hands now, but I have to believe, even though I don't know why this is a good thing for me, that the loss of the scooter is, indeed, a positive thing that will improve my life-situation. I can't be afraid of what happened, or what might happen, because my scooter was stolen. It is a little thing that I believe will help me to deal fearlessly with larger changes in my life when they happen.

What does "Living Fearlessly" mean to you, and how has your work in fearless living manifested recently in your life?