Fear vs. Growth – A Fork in the road…

“What are you doing!” My good buddy and business partner Chris said to me when we were talking business this morning. “I am fasting for 120 hours.” I responded. “What does that mean? You’re eating something right?” Chris responded. “Nope, only water, tea and bone broth. It’s been 82 hours.” I told him. “You are NUTS!!! You have to eat. Your body needs it” Chris responded with a strong energetic voice.“Maybe just a little.” I said as I was laughing.

Chris is not alone in his thinking. The anticipation of what will happen if my body doesn’t have food boggled his mind. Like Chris, my wife Sarah thinks I am NUTS!!! She is not in favor of this and genuinely fears for my health. I know her fear is real because I can feel her anxiety every time I or someone brings it up. I guess, I just look at it differently.

Like most challenges in life… I tend to be the eternal optimist. Always looking at what is to gain not what could be lost. For some, like my wife, it can drive them nuts. For me it’s just the opposite. I will never understand those who always have an excuse for not trying something new. Those who anticipate the worst and block their minds from seeing opportunity. Funny thing is, Chris is one of the most daring people I know.

Chris has jumped from air plane. Snowmobile to elevations of 12,000 feet in the mountains with powder so deep an avalanche could have kill him. Most impressive and thrilling to me… As a smart, successful home builder Chris survived the real estate crash while owning boat loads of lots and spec homes. While everyone around him lost everything. So, I don’t think Chris is scared of much. Maybe, the anticipation of not knowing what I’m doing… Along with the anxiety of “What if” instilled a fear of the unknown. Resulting in him saying “You are NUTS!!”

Anticipation + Anxiety = Fear

On the other hand, when my boy Sloper issued a challenge to fast for 120 days I looked at it differently. I know very little about the ramification or benefits fasting has on my body. For me, the challenge of fasting has nothing to do with health benefit and everything to do with growing as a person.

As an eternal optimist, I embrace challenges as learning lessons. Testing my ability to adapt and learn about what “I” Tim Murphy am made of. What’s the worst thing that happens… I fail.

Good!

Because failure is life’s best learning lesson. Failures are opportunities to learn the most about you, others and what not to do.

The opportunity to fail, is the opportunity to grow.

Optimism + Opportunistic = Growth

Growing, is what I am so optimistic about when it comes to fasting.

Everyday, we are thrown curveballs. Everyday, adversity sits at the edge of our bed. Waiting for us to get up. Just to smack us in the face.

We can anticipate how each days challenge will break us. How the adversity is too great for us to bear. However, in doing so, our body will react to our mind’s thoughts. Causing us to become anxious about the “What If’s” Of this world. The result, a fear to get out of bed and take on life’s challenges. Because we fear the unknown.

I say, to Hell with that!!

Instead, choose to be optimistic about each days challenge. knowing the real opportunities in life come from pushing yourself. Sure, we may fail.

Good.

Because, if it wasn’t for all the failures I have had in my life. I would have never grown to be the person I am today.

 

P.S. I write this in memory of Larry Hendrickson. My high school hockey coach. An optimistic man. Who saw the opportunity to take a team of young men with talent “Together To Long To Lose” and mold them into a Championship TEAM.

 

Love You Hendy

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