Why fear is my biggest motivator.

The Story: When I was a little girl my 8-year confident, fearless, and brave cousin Megan taught me how to ride a bike on Kelly’s Corner – Kelly’s Corner the dirt path out the front of her mum and dad’s house in Bre. Everyone knows the house and the bend.

A few days before then I fell off the bike and scrapped my knee, copping a vicious injury – okay that is bit dramatic but to an 8-year who hit the dirt hard it was traumatic and an experience I wished didn’t happen.

So, my freckled faced, hype-kid of a cousin made me get back on the bike and in the literal sense. She took me out the front and cheered me on saying “cuz you can do this, just try”. I get on the bike, take a deep breath, she says “you ready”, I put one foot on the paddle, tip toe on the other and she starts to push me and the bike.

True god, hyping me up with every roll of the wheel “go cuz, go cuz, you got it keep going”. I stack it. Standard. This is to be expected I am still learning after all. We go again, and again, and again, and again. Eventually it happens, I make it, I ride the entire 80m driveway with my cousin running alongside me. Cheering, screaming in my ear, clapping, and celebrating the massive achievement of me being able to ride a bike. High-five girlfriend, the world is your oyster.

The Lesson: As I reflect on the bike event (cos let’s be honest it was an event for me, I am dramatic) I know how crucial that lesson early on in life truly was. It made me realise that without the courage, the determination or the conviction to believe I could do ‘this’ so many opportunities to test, fail, try again and succeed would surpass me.

And the last thing I truly wanted was to be standing on that dirt driveway watching all my cousins ride bikes while I stayed with this mindset and developed the belief system that fear is something that should be feared.

Fear is something that should be celebrated, welcomed, and embraced. Fear is when you know you about to push beyond everything you know to be true about yourself and your capability. Busting through the fear is where the magic happens. Where you learn about what is possible for you. It is where you get to experience something new and update the version of how much of a badass you are.

The Point: Life, relationships, your work, your community will present you ‘fear opportunities’ every single day of the week. And it is up to you whether you thrive, barely survive (hello scrapped knee) or never get on the bike at all. If you think about the last 7-days, where did fear show up and how did you show fear that you are the boss?

Gratitude: Thank you Megan Kelly.