OK, lets look at this a bit differently, then. Ready?….Dwell on this for twenty seconds: You always itch somewhere. (waiting) There….got it? Sorry to make you aware of your itches but it was necessary to get on with the subject on hand.
Now about this Afraid thing….it’s always there a little bit; anxiety floating around in your sub-conscious. It’s not a lot most of the time, but enough so that we DO THINGS. Some of the things we do are because we’re looking forward to them, but mixed in there somewhere, is thinking about ‘time’, or ‘getting that thermostat changed’, or ‘better get that plane ticket’ (Oh, THAT’S a dandy. Airports. No anxiety thinking about that).
So what is the “getting hurt” part? I don’t know, any darn thing you can think of in your life but something we try to avoid: looking stupid, being late, exertion, and more. So sometimes we finally get up off our duff and do whatever it is that needs to be done; for me it might be my fitness goals. My coach assigns me workouts that can be ugly sometimes and actually hurt me more than sitting around worrying about what would happen if I didn’t do that workout….
But,
Physically getting up and doing the actual thing you’re avoiding is a totally different KIND of hurt; it’s REAL, and therefore manageable and life-sustaining.
For most of our day-to-day existence, this is a truism: Overcoming inertia and doing something that takes energy, or guts, is life-sustaining. You’ll live a more fulfilling life.
People want to feel more alive, or have a better quality of life. There are many ways to improve all that: do the things that everyone knows you should do: eat better, exercise, don’t drink too much, don’t smoke, blah blah. You know the list, but in addition….
….move to a slightly more personal level. If you want to get faster, stronger, more socially adept, have a better relationship, whatever, you need to get involved with one of those kinds of (I’m saying it) self-improvement programs. Do something to get involved in your neighborhood runs, get out and start running, talk to people who run, get a fitness coach (ahem). Are your social skills lacking? Maybe you need a public speaking group, or social dance classes. Does your main relationship resemble a sinking ship? Do counselling, join a couples group, whatever it takes.
But for heaven’s sake, don’t let FEAR stop you. And remember, Everyone is Afraid. It’s the great leveler (nobody is immune). And as soon as you get into a group that is improving themselves or when you start on your own, in talking to people, you’ll find out they were all afraid in some way or other. And, in fact, their being afraid is what led them into improvement…. so remember ‘Fear is Your Friend’. Now get back to scratching your itches. Cheers.