Being afraid is okay...

Storytime…

It was 2pm last Wednesday, I was working from home and in the midst of responding to a "pants on fire" email and aiding my son with his homework, I was alarmed by a tapping sound on the glass of my paneled door. Besides the fact that I was not expecting company, I also was not prepared for what was at my opened door. Standing on his hind legs and adorned in scales of bright green was iguana one, the baby (picture in inset). 

Fast forward to Saturday, hurrying to run errands I decided to water the plants before I left home. As I made my way to the tap I was greeted by the hunk of a reptile (main picture). Saying I was petrified in both instances is an understatement. I have seen iguanas before but never that close. My immediate reaction was to shut all the windows and doors in the first instance and run in the second.

Despite my fear, to prevent sleepless nights and great living discomforts, I knew I needed to get the iguanas off the property. Painstakingly I did. Luckily for me, the iguanas and I had something in common. We were equally afraid and wanted to be rid of each other. As such, all that was required was to guide them to the path of exit.

This experience reminded me of two things:

1.      It is okay for fear to temporarily deter your movements, but eventually you must take action. Life without action is no life at all.

2.       In most situations, what we are afraid of only seems unnerving when we look at it as more superior to us. If we stop and really assess the situation, most times it is an equal playing field that requires an understanding of what will make it a win.

Who would have thought that iguanas would have been great teachers.