Who cares?

We all have fears. Some that are related to possible life and death situations and others, not so much. Most are somewhere in the middle. I have noticed that I don't seem to hold on to my fears as much as I used to, even just a year ago. This summer, the word "shopping" would make me almost double over and be physically sick. I recently heard a quote, "Knowledge is the enemy of fear." and I liked it so much that it is on my signature for my work email, but it is so much more than that. Fear is what we think of when we let our minds get ahead of our hearts. Sometimes, our mind is a terrible thing and can be very detrimental to our wellbeing. We have to give up fear in order to believe that it will work out for the best. Every decision that we make is done under those same premises, so why shouldn't our tasks? A friend of mine shared some fears she has that I want to help her get over, taking "baby steps" (she likes to use that term), but in order for us to do that, we might be around other people. I know what it feels like to believe that you cannot breathe and that you have to go into "fight or flight" mode. So when I suggested some things we could do to overcome those fears, she became very concerned that other people would be around, possibly watching her. I point blank asked her, "Who cares what they think? They don't know you and you don't know them, so why is what they think of you more important than what I think or you think of yourself?" I have lived an extra-ordinary life (not extraordinary) and could not make up what has happened to me. Although it does make for some good story telling. For my junior prom, I wore a strapless white dress which, of course, was the same exact dress as the other girl who was going with us. This was way before cell phones and the internet and social networking, so you had to go by verbal description over the phone or trying to describe it in person. I am more comfortable wearing sneakers and shorts than heels and a dress. Have been my entire life. As I was walking up a flight of stairs, I stepped on the front of my dress, bringing it down a little lower than it should have been. Yes, please stop laughing now. I could have died!! All of my classmates got more of a show than expected, I am sure. That happened in front of a group of people that I would see again (on Monday at school) and I am here to tell the story many years later. Guess what...I didn't die and I am not even sure if anyone remembers that it happened, not even my date. No one ever said anything to me, so I forgot about it. It was over. So again, I ask you, "Who cares?" We all had to learn to ride a bike, speak in front of the class, drive a car at some point. Live your life and don't be afraid. It just holds you back and we spend more time thinking that other people are spending time thinking about us than they really do. Truth is, they are saying what I am saying, "who cares?" Seriously.