Anybody who knows me knows how much I love politics.
While I was in college, I received a call from a friend helping coordinate a visit of President George W. Bush to the Atlanta area. My friend said that they needed volunteers to drive in the presidential motorcade and asked if I was up for it. Needless to say, I was ecstatic. To be clear, they did not ask me to drive the limousine carrying the president, and frankly, if they had known about my driving record, they would not have even considered it.
Picture this. There are two limousines in the motorcade: one that carries the president and another that looks just like it. In front of, and behind, the limousines are police cars, and behind the police cars is a fleet of fifteen-passenger vans. These vans could carry anyone from high-ranking government officials, to low-level white house staffers, to members of the press pool traveling with the president. I would be driving one of these vans.
The night before the event, we had to attend a mandatory security briefing, receive instructions about the event, and participate in extensive background checks. There were ten of us that showed up the night before the event, and I sat next to the most excited volunteer. The lady sitting next to me made it known to the group that this was her lifelong dream. She loved the president, and she was so excited to support him by volunteering as a driver in the motorcade. All the information we talked through only fueled her excitement, until they began to walk through the scenarios of what to do if something goes wrong.
The instructions were extensive and specific. Under no circumstances are you to stop. Do not let anyone in between your car and the car in front of you. Stay inside the motorcade at all costs. Their list painted a picture out of a doomsday movie, chronicling everything that could possibly go wrong and exactly what we were to do in the face of an attack or other emergency.
As they were walking through this list, the lady next to me began to breathe heavily, rubbing her hands together. The more scenarios they covered, the more uncomfortable she looked. Shifting uneasily in her seat, she looked at me wide-eyed and said, “I really don’t know if I can do this.”
The next morning, only nine volunteers came back to drive in the motorcade. The lady did not show up.
Ultimately, she allowed fear to stop her from doing something she had dreamed about for a long time.
This story reminds me of a quote from author Donald Miller: “Fear is a manipulative emotion that can trick us into living a boring life.”
How many times have we allowed fear in our lives to prevent us from doing what we wanted to do?
You were afraid you might not make the school play, so you never ended up trying out.
You were nervous about the interview, so you decided to not apply for your dream job.
You didn’t want to risk getting rejected, so you never ended up asking the girl out.
Decide today that you won’t allow fear to stand in the way of the life you were created to live. Make the call. Send in the application. Ask for the sale. Take the risk. Don’t live a life of fear that can ultimately turn into a life of regret and “what-ifs.”
Does the story above sound familiar? What fears are holding you back from living the life you were called to live? Take some time this week to consider ways you can face your fears and pursue your dreams, both personally and professionally.
