Daily Gratitude: Whenever I take time to stop and reflect on my life, I wonder what I could have accomplished had I not been so ruled by fear. It’s kind of funny how in some respects I’ve been fearless and yet in so many others I’ve cowered away from life like a caged dog. Things began to change, though, 5 years ago when I learned about IFS (Internal Family Systems). What an amazing turnaround that created. Prior to this the most daring thing I ever did was push the application button to do Vol State in 2014. I think that’s one reason I love it so much. And then in 2019 I got the courage to try to fulfill a 30 year dream of crossing the US on foot. I didn’t succeed but still have that desire especially to conquer New Mexico. But I can’t tell you how that experience was so difficult yet so rewarding. And I’m not talking about difficult from a physical perspective (since I only made it 716 miles) but from an emotional standpoint. I was (and still am) shy. I was afraid to talk to people and i certainly didn’t know how to ask for help. All of those things were required. But my desire to do this seemingly impossible thing (for a short old woman anyway) outweighed those fears. That was the dream in my heart and it had been there growing and blossoming for all those 30 years. I think that tiny section of my life is exactly what Roy Bennett is talking about here. When you feel something you want to do and feel it with all your heart, don’t bury it. Nourish it and keep it alive while trying to figure out how to make it happen. My biggest reason for not doing it sooner was, of course, work. But I often wonder what would have happened had I tried it at a much younger age. Would I have made it all the way? And how would my life have changed then? It is futile to spend a lot of time wondering but it does give me a little bit of a push when i have something else I want to do but feel too scared. This past experience helps me get past those fears. What do you have in your life that you can use to stimulate thoughts about what would have happened if……?