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By Coach Lashawnda

The other day I was walking my puppy when a woman walking towards us stopped dead in her tracks. At first I paid no mind to her but my dog Louis (pronounced Louie), who is only five pounds started barking.

“Are you afraid of dogs?” I asked loudly. She was standing at least 30 feet away.

“I just don’t like dogs,” she replied.

“He’s not interesting in biting you,” I replied. She didn’t move.

Her fear made me think about my own.

I can’t swim. I remember trying to teach myself during summer camp out on a lake when I was younger. All the other campers ran right into the water and swam with ease. My fearless spirit made me think I could too but the water consumed me. When I came up for air I coughed up water. My eyes burned. I felt as if I were going to die.

Ever since then I decided I didn’t ever want to feel that way again. I won’t go too far out in ocean water and I won’t do too much in a pool. I long for my body to become synchronized with the flow of the ocean waves. I’ve just been too apprehensive to challenge myself to do anything about overcoming it.

Fear comes in so many different forms and on many levels. For many people it’s easier to just hold on to whatever binds them rather than try to overcome it by challenging themselves to conquer it.

The truth is it’s often easier not to deal with our fear than it is to challenge ourselves to over come it.

Have you ever noticed how proudly some people will tell you what they won’t do because they are afraid?

We get in our own way and that stops us from “growing forward” towards more fulfilling experiences.

I’m tired of being afraid to learn how to swim. I spend too much time travelling to beaches around the world only to dream of what it would be like to swim in the ocean.

I’m going to empower myself and take swim lessons this year. I want to be able to say I can swim.

What are you afraid of? No matter what it is take the time to figure out why you are afraid don’t just make excuses for yourself. Then understand why you haven’t been strong enough to overcome that fear. Once you can accomplish that then think about what you can do to empower yourself to move past it. It won’t be easy but your “growing forward” will be worth it.

–Keep it positive and Keep it moving

Lashawnda K. Becoats is a certified Life coach. She is a freelance columnist for the Charlotte Observer and has written for QCity Metro and Uptown Magazine. Email her at lbecoats@gmail.com. Follow her on facebook.com/lashawndabecoats and Twitter:@coachlashawnda