It’s the New Year season again! Every January brings the opportunity take stock of the year that has passed and look ahead to the new year. As we reflect, we can remember all that God has done for us. We can think back on all the reasons we have to be grateful. On the other hand, we can identify the areas that may not have been as successful or healthy as we’d hoped. As we look ahead to the new year, we can be introspective and look at the parts of our lives that we’d like to cease, continue, change or improve.

As you look ahead to the New Year, I would like to extend an invitation for you to join me in making a decision to live with less fear. You and I can start by saying “yes” to the things that scare us.

New Year Challenge – Say Yes

My new year challenge for you (and for me) is two fold. First, we commit to be more mindful of the situations that bring up fear and anxiety in 2016. Second, as we identify the feelings of fear and anxiety, we commit to do the very things that scare us. If you’re anything like me, saying no to scary things comes natural. It can take intentional effort and the mustering of great courage to venture out of my comfort zone and face my fears. Can you relate?

The reality is that comfort zones will limit the amount of growth and change we can experience. If we stay comfortable, we will stay stagnant. Comfort is the enemy of growth. The new year gives us an opportunity to be more mindful and intentional about facing our fears. And when we decide to say yes to the things that scare us, we open ourselves up to the potential benefits of risk taking.

New Year Challenge – 5 Courageous Questions to ask

Who? 

Who do you need to be more vulnerable with?

Who do you need to reach out to?

Who do you need to apologize to?

Who do you need to have hard conversations with?

Who do you need to implement new, healthy boundaries with?

 

What?

What are you most afraid of?

What are you most ashamed of?

What do you need to face?

What risks do you need to take?

What new opportunity makes you feel hesitant, anxious or afraid?

 

When?

When would now be a good time to do something scary?

When will you make that phone call?

When will you schedule that counseling session?

When will you apply for that new job?

 

Where?

Where do you need to go in order to be outside of your comfort zone?

Where is your greatest area of vulnerability?

Where do your most daunting challenges arise?

 

Why?

Saying yes to what scares us will open us up to new opportunities in life.

Saying yes to what scares us will prove to us that many of our fears are not grounded in reality. Say yes to what scares us will show us that we are made of stronger stuff than we think we are.

Saying yes to what scares us will show us that the painful situations in life often have the richest of lessons to teach us.

 

Some of these questions might be quite unnerving. If so, it might be a good idea to process some of them with a counselor. Saying yes to what scares you might start with saying yes to a counseling appointment. We would welcome the opportunity to sit with you and identify the ways you can face the new year and all of its challenges head-on.

 

Happy New Year!

 

 

Photo Credit – Andreas Roningen from Unsplash.com