As we travel through life, we unknowingly discover a pattern of up and down. Some are blessed to travel at an even plane, like that of an open prairie. While few are so lucky, the others remain traveling up and down rolling hills. With practice, everyone will learn how to travel as though they were traveling an open prairie, but until then they walk the wilderness.

There is a woman I know, who was always afraid of roller coasters. She hated the thought of traveling up and down, twisting this way and that way. She hated it so much, she refused to go on them her entire life. Just like life, we can choose to run from our fears or  embrace them. Our fears can either control us, or we can allow them to grow us. By embracing our fears, versus fighting them, we instinctively turn a different direction. The great ones will often march directly into the mouth of fear, still afraid, and all they trust is the ending result.

Just as the great ones, even the commoners will one day face their fears. For us to grow, we eventually have to go beyond our fears. Choose not to face the fears and guaranteed…the universe I’ll deliver the lesson to you…one way or another. Meet your fears or your fears will come to you.

This woman ran from her fears all her life, until one day the universe gave her a different agenda…it gave her grand kids. One day on a trip to Florida, the grand kids asked grandma if she would take them on a roller coaster. Afraid, she said no…then explained to her grand kids that she was afraid.

With innocence of a child, they reminded her of the lesson she taught them…”you always taught us to let go of are fears and trust that we will be ok.” hearing these words, she now was faced with a bigger challenge…do I preach hypocrisy to my grand kids or live by the words spoken. Grandma was about to join the ranks of all the great ones before her, as she listened to the words she spoke.

As humans, we often give advice to others, but fail to hear the lesson. Many will say that we are really speaking the lesson for ourselves. Meaning…what we want in our own lives, we invariably will instruct another.  We are not here to instruct another, instead we are here to instruct ourselves. Listen to the words that are spoken, as you point fingers at another…look down, there are three pointing back at the one who needed the lesson. By teaching others, we see even more lessons; through giving we receive.

What grandma learned that day at the amusement park was her own lesson of facing her fears. What she taught her grand kids for so long, she essentially had to learn herself. As she learned this lesson, she began to enjoy the ride each time she got on. Just as in life…as we begin to face our fears, embrace them, we begin to fear less and enjoy life more. Pretty soon your hands will let go of the lap-bar, as grandma did, and they will flail in the wind. With hands in the air….a loud scream shall be heard…”Woo Hoo!”

Stepping into the Canvas with hands in the air, letting go of what we thought we should or should not do finding ourselves living our lives on auto-pilot of a new way. A way of living from the heart, trusting the voice within and allowing whatever to be…be. We are here to live life to the fullest, push the envelope, see how far the rabbit hole goes. Remain in fear, avoiding the ups and downs…that is where we remain…trapped in our own fear. Embrace the fear, loving the varying altitudes of life and you too shall find yourself, with hands in the air, yelling….Woo Hoo! Enjoy the ride…