R.A.D.I.C.A.L. Thoughts

"You're a lot better off being scared than being bored."
From Do What You Love, Love What You Do And Deliver More Than You Promise - by Harvey Mackay

During a midlife divorce, you are not bored. You are lots of things, but bored is not one of them. You are working overtime figuring out "what now?" and finding a new vision for your life, and that doesn't leave any time left for boredom. Exhaustion, maybe. Fear, definitely. Boredom, no. That's one very positive thing a midlife divorce will do: It makes you face fear head on. And you either give in to it or you conquer it. Every time you conquer fear, you get stronger and more courageous. In the book mentioned above, Mackay says that, "What people don't know is that courage can be learned." Airline pilots are taught to conquer fear. They learn to overcome the emotion of fear so that they can make good choices when a situation presents itself that demands clear thinking and strong will in spite of what's happening around them. After we face a harrowing or dangerous situation and survive, we are less afraid the next time. I know that once I made it through the recovery journey, I felt confident and was much less afraid of anything than I was at the beginning of the trip. Post recovery, I had the feeling that I got through one of the worst things that could happen to me and not only did I survive, but I was braver all around and even exhilarated by my new found courage. Because I was forced to stand toe to toe with my fear, I can now live life with less trembling. And here's an added bonus: one reason that we can conquer fear is that God has promised his help and power. Take advantage of that. It makes all the difference.

"Be strong and courageous, and do the work. Do not be afraid or discouraged, for the Lord God, my God, is with you."
I Chronicles 28:20 (NIV)