As many of my family and friends know, I have been an active participant in Toastmasters over the last few years. I wanted to improve my public speaking skill and face down a long standing fear. After two plus years and over ten speeches, I officially graduated to a "Competent Communicator" within the program. This was an epic moment because it took much dedication.
My 10th speech was about "taking action in spite of fear." Over the years I've had many dreams and goals that I haven't pursued. I came up with all kinds of excuses like "the timing isn't right", "I don't have enough money", or "I'm not sure I can do it". The real reason can usually be boiled down to fear. Fear of failure, fear of the unknown, fear of looking like a fool. I procrastinated on Toastmasters for ten years until I finally took on that fear and when I finished my final speech it was one of the most satisfying things I have ever accomplished.
When Annie and I decided on world travel, a lot of that familiar fear surfaced. "You can't quit your job, "you can't afford this, and "what will my family and friends think?" Taking action in spite of fear is something I work on everyday and while I am far from perfect, it gets easier. By taking small steps, like participating in Toastmasters, it has allowed me to consistently up the ante. Now I can more comfortably quit my job, pack up my longtime apartment, and travel to unknown destinations.
I ended speech #10 with a quote that I find helpful to keep in mind, "What would you do if you weren't afraid?"