This year I was offered the opportunity to do something I had always wanted to do: teach a PETE class. My first reaction was “Wow! I am so honored and excited to do this!” 

Fast track to: “There is no way I can do this! I know nothing about teaching college kids! I will fail miserably!”

I was filled with near crippling fear.

“Doubt kills more dreams than failure ever will.” — Suzy Kassem

We teach our students to get out of their comfort zones, to try hard things, to risk failure. Now it was my turn to practice what I teach. 

I knew I needed to make a decision soon, so I called on my support system: my husband, siblings, and children (“Should I do this?” “Do you think I am capable?”). They had more confidence in me than I had, which helped me take the next step.

”Courage, dear heart.” ~C.S. Lewis

I met with the faculty involved in the class to gather more information: is there a syllabus? What is the textbook? When does the class meet? How many hours outside of class time will I be working? These conversations gave me the information I needed to make my decision. 

I said yes.

The decision was made, but instead of feeling better, I found myself filled with anxiety. I needed to learn a brand new curriculum, prepare for 2 classes a week, learn a new educational platform, sift through course materials – all in one month’s time. I was having trouble sleeping, and had this black cloud of doom hovering over my head all day long. When I started to fantasize about getting injured or sick so I could pull out of my obligation, I knew I needed to take action.

“Inaction breeds doubt and fear. Action breeds confidence and courage. If you want to conquer fear, do not sit home and think about it. Go out and get busy.” —Dale Carnegie

I created a schedule for myself. Starting January 1st I would set aside one hour a day to work on getting myself ready. I prioritized what I needed to do first, and stuck to my schedule. Some days I was so caught up in what I was doing that I put in 2 or 3 hours of prep work. I realized very quickly that my anxiety was lifting. SURPRISE! Taking action really does work!

This entire experience was both humbling and eye opening for me. I discovered new things about myself I did not know. Now that I have walked the walk, I can confidently talk the talk. Together, 

“We CAN do hard things” Glennon Doyle

Special thanks to Becca L-A-K and Dr. Abel-Berei for holding my hand throughout this journey.

This microblog post was a featured post in #slowchathealth’s #microblogmonth event. You can search for all of the featured posts here. Please do follow each of the outstanding contributors on social media (including Megaera Regan, the author of this post) and consider writing a microblog post of your own to be shared with the global audience of slowchathealth.com

Pair this blog post with the following:

Opening My Eyes by Megaera Regan

From Back Row to Center Stage by Matt Hagedorn

Find Your Tribe by Cindie Cortinas-Vogt

Frozen While Still Moving by Tony Alexander

Have you read the latest Book of the Month recommendation?