Honest Action

I've been chasing fears intentionally for the past few months. It's been a surreal journey so far. An emotional rollercoaster with a lot of scary drops and twists and turns. There's one thing that I've discovered through it all which might be the most important lesson I've ever learned.

Honest action. Action in alignment with one's desires and intentions.

I think a lot. Too much, really. Before doing something my brain will map out all of the possible outcomes–usually nightmare scenarios that aren't even realistic. Thanks brain. The funny thing is no matter how much I think or plan about doing something scary or unfamiliar, it doesn't change the scenario at all. Most of the time I just think myself into never acting at all.

I've realized that action alone is the only thing that can tangibly move life forward. When I act on something I'm scared of, I'm forced to be present. When I'm present, there's no room to overthink or overanalyze. All that remains is the experience, a moment in life where I'm engaged and grounded. And most of the time, my worst fears don't even come true. Even when they do, nothing happens. The sky doesn't start falling. Life just goes on.

Another cool thing about action is that it puts me in the driver's seat of my life. I get to witness myself align with my goals and ambitions. I get to practice shaping my own world, instead of waiting for the world to shape me.

I still have a long way to go. I still overthink and spiral into thought loops, still struggle to see past my assumptions about myself, others, the world. But that's okay. I persist. Each time I choose to embrace my fears, I grow.

Take care,

Ethan Mark