As I have been on a tour of Israel the past week, I became so grateful that I didn't succumb to fear.
I spent about 10 days before the trip trying to decide if I should go on the trip or not based on what the media shows is going on in Israel. Now...don't get me wrong, it isn't all peaches and roses here, but overall, it isn't really any worse than taking a trip into the unstable areas of Chicago or Cleveland. There are bad people everywhere; you just have to know where 'not' to go.
This is my lesson and what I am feeling grateful for today. Not succumbing to fear. If I didn't pass the boundaries of fear in my life, here is just a short list of experiences, most life-changing, that I wouldn't have experienced in my life:
My marriage: If I hadn't answered the blind request on match.com many years ago, and through the fear of not being perfect enough for someone, I would have never met my amazing, gentle, kind, and loving hubby.
My job: If I hadn't moved past the fear of originally being told I wouldn't make a good salesperson (in AZ), I never would have interviewed at a Cleveland auto dealer and my now dear friend, Mike, wouldn't have hired me. Therefore, I wouldn't have had the opportunity to build a great company in the auto industry.
Traveling: Many, many of my best experiences and inspirations have come from traveling. Mission trips (Eluthera, Dominican Republic, Papua New Guinea, Senegal), family trips (Antarctica, Cabo, Italy, Turksand Caicos, to name a few), and then of course historical trips (Israel, Normandy, Paris).
I want to focus on my travel. So many of the places where I have traveled were categorized as "scary," "travel with caution" areas that people ask "why?"
Why? Because without them, I wouldn't know many people that have changed the scope of my life. I have met people that have become friends. I can name key individuals from every one of those places that have impacted my life from a personal and professional growth perspective, each of which I am still in contact with today! If I had stayed "safe," the trajectory of my life would have been different, not nearly as full, and certainly less impactful.
Why do I say impactful? Because. Because I have been able to spread the word of God to many people around the world, learn from people that have helped me to be a better person, and because it opened my eyes to the true beauty AND troubles of the world. The real troubles, the real beauty. Not just what the media tells us.
Listen to your heart. Follow your dreams. Don't listen to the limited scope of what the media tells you. There are bad people everywhere, but there are more great people everywhere.
Do not be afraid. Go experience the world.
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Thank you for busting through your fears, Kel! You are truly a pioneer and paving the way to a movement of changing lives for good! I’m so proud of you!