What are my fears and how have they held me back in life?

Hi guys! Well.....I was supposed to post the first topic of my new blog series yesterday but that got kicked to the curb LOL the day got way too busy and I knew by the time I left my final meeting around 3, that I was going to be working late.....and boy did I. I was on campus for a lot longer than I could have ever imagined and all of this was happening knowing just how early I needed to be up today for track AND traveling to campus.

I've never had a track morning that followed a commute to campus for a day full of in person meetings. The humidity was beyond terrible today during my run but the sweat as always, utter therapy. Also, having negative splits on all of my strides today was a fantastic way to start off this productive/busy Wednesday!

Picture of when I first stepped out onto the track! First one on the track today but one of the first to leave due to traffic/work lol

Alright, let's dive into todays topic shall we?

One of my fears? Failing.

It’s not always obvious. I don’t sit around wringing my hands or waiting for the sky to fall. On the surface, I look like I’ve got it together—like I know where I’m going. But deep down, there are moments when I hesitate. Not because I don’t believe in myself, but because I know what it feels like to try hard and still fall short.

Failure doesn’t just bruise your ego—it questions your worth, your choices, your instincts. It has a way of lingering long after the moment has passed, making you second-guess things you once felt certain about. And if you’re not careful, it starts making your decisions for you.

That’s the danger of fear—it doesn’t always scream. Sometimes, it just slowly convinces you to play it safe.

But here’s what I’m learning: the only thing worse than failing is shrinking.

Because at the end of the day, I’d rather stumble on a path I chose than stay standing in a place that never challenged me. I’d rather risk it and live a life that feels real than tiptoe around discomfort and end up wondering “what if.”

Some fears don't vanish - they just lose their power when you stop handing them the pen.

We could really talk a lot longer about fear and how it holds so much potential to hold us back in life but that could get really really deep. Especially considering I'm logging out soon for the week! I can feel every bit of that 3:45 alarm that went off 10 hours ago and no, this coffee is not helping me stare harder at these spreadsheets.

Logging off for what I hope is at least 2-3 days. But when I return...the kettle will be on, and the stories will be worth sipping...

xoxo