Don't Be Afraid to Fall

Categories: Blog, Uncategorized Jul 30, 2014

The human body is an amazing creation. It is capable of so many wonderful things. From fluid and strong movements, to world changing ideas that are born inside of the brain, there are virtually no limits to what a human can do. We were all created to move, to create, to live, and to love. We are collectively and individually truly a masterpiece. We were made for wonder.

Yet sadly, many of us do not live the life that we were created to live. Though we were made for wonder, many of us live a life far from the land of wonder. Many of us live a life full of dread and fear. And though we are capable of fostering and perpetuating dread and fear, we were certainly not created for it. It is true. You were not made to live a life of fear.

Before you dismiss this idea, consider this: We (humans) don't necessarily live up to our full potential. We don't live to the level of our design. We were clearly made for movement. Yet how many hours do we spend motionless throughout our day? We were clearly made to create. Yet how often do we write songs and poems, or how often do paint canvases or chisel sculptures out of stone? Many of us don't even know how to make more than a snake with Play Doh, YET we are clearly capable of creating anything we set our imaginations to ponder.

Many of us simply don't fulfill the purpose of our design. Instead, we pervert our design. We sabotage our ability and capability by engaging in activities and thoughts that we weren't created for. We have learned how to settle, both mentally and physically. We have learned how not to move our thoughts and bodies the way they were intended. As a result, we are living less than the life we were created for.

Which brings me back to fear. We have allowed fear to rule our lives and overcome our good (not common) sense. What am I talking about? Because of fear, monkey bars are disappearing across the world. Because of fear, schools are banning the use of balls during recess. Because of fear, we don't run in the grass with our children. Instead we watch them play and think, "Man, I used to be able to move like that." Because of fear, we get angry when we can'f find hand sanitizer near every door knob. We have become germ-o-phoebes. Because of fear, we pretend to be fans of sports when the truth is we would really rather play. Basically, because of fear, we watch life pass us by. We become a spectator. We have become so afraid, so "safety conscious", that we constantly find ways and excuses not to move and engage in life. We actually use our creativity in the wrong direction.

As a result, we quit moving. We quit exploring. We quit living. Instead, we sit. We dream of moving. Or we simply hide and watch other people move. And we age. We get stiff. We get brittle. We become fragile. All the things we were never created for, we move towards. Eventually, we lose our strength, our mobility, and our freedom. And then, we become more afraid.

Fear starts to really take hold of our "lives." We become afraid of heart disease, high blood pressure, cholesterol and arthritis. And then it happens, we actually become afraid to move. Why? Because things break when we fall.

Do you see how fear enslaves us? Simple fears like, "Johnny could break his arm if he falls off the monkey bars" grow into fears like, "I don't want to go for a walk because If I fall, break a hip, and can't get up, I could die here in the woods and no one would ever know I was dead until I don't show up for bingo." Fear tricks us into finding ways to shelter our lives by sheltering our movements. Sheltering our movements further leads to having to be "careful" because the body becomes fragile if you simply don't use it. Ultimately, fear enslaves us to a life of existence - a life full of nothing we were created for.

I don't know about you, but I want to be free. I don't want to be afraid to fall when I am 60 years old. When I am 80, I still want to be able to climb trees and hike up mountains. I want to be able to explore and create when I am a seasoned man. I want to live. I don't want to exist.

Don't you want that, too?

The very thing that fear stops us from doing is the very thing that can keep fear from growing: moving. Moving is the cure for fear. Moving, not abstaining from moving, is the medicine for both the brain and the body. Moving is freedom. The more you move, the more free you are to move. When you move often, in the ways you were created to move, the ways you once moved as a child, you become strong, mobile, agile, graceful, resilient and capable. You also become more creative, energetic, and confident. Movement literally unlocks freedom to live a life worth living. AND, it helps keeps fear at bay.

Consider the ways of a child. Children usually have to be taught to be afraid of things. Most children learn and explore their world through learning how to move. Children become strong and resilient, they become indestructible, through learning how to move. Most children have no limitations because they are too busy trying to figure out how to overcome them. They are not only physically resilient, they are mentally resilient. Movement is what builds this resilience in children. It is also what builds resilience in adults.

The very movements of a child, the movements that are preprogramed in children, are the very movements that can keep you healthy and strong, and creative and bold, as an adult. These simple movements like rolling, crawling and walking are the keys to building, keeping, even regaining your original strength - the strength you once had, the strength you were created to have. When you have your original strength, you know no limitations. You are free to move and live a life worthy and capable of wonder and adventure.

Being able to move, in every way that you want to move, gives you mental strength and confidence. It removes silly things like fear. After all, if you are fully capable of moving with strength and grace, what is there to be afraid of really?

You were made for many wonderful things. Fear is not one of them. Growing older does not mean growing frail. It does not mean growing weak and fragile. Growing older is meant to be just as much an adventure as learning how to run is for a child. Every stage in life is meant to be lived in and moved through. Remember that. You were made to move.

Don't be afraid to fall.

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