Cyndi's Two Cents

Do not let fear control your life

Time flies.  I didn’t realize the hard truth in that statement until I blew through my forties and notice the fifty in my rearview mirror is the same distance away from me as the big 6-0 on the horizon.

For as far back as I can remember the men I work with were invited to participate in a company golf outing each summer.  A few years ago, the company that has provided me with a paycheck each month for the past 19 years started offering a “Ladies Day” activity every October.  There have been float trips on the river, shopping trips, visits to wineries and casinos and one year a painting class.  Most of the women who participate do so every year.  For me, a recent motor coach ride to the Fabulous Fox Theatre in St. Louis with a bus full of women was my first time attending “Ladies Day.”

I was always too busy.  If it wasn’t something about my role at Brownfield Ag News, then it was something on the farm that kept me from playing hooky for a day and evening.  Or so I thought.

The timing for “Ladies Day” has never been good as far as my schedule is concerned and I was afraid I wouldn’t fulfill some responsibility if I skipped out.  Silly me and my fear of failing.

I read a post online recently that listed the top 10 things that scare people the most.  Among them:  death, the dark, not going to heaven, being sexually assaulted, failing, being embarrassed in front of a huge crowd of people, being hurt by the person you love, scary spaces, becoming disabled, and poverty.

During these final days of October, many people seek out opportunities to experience fear.  I’m not a big fan of haunted houses, but I know people who will drive 3 counties away for the thrill of being frightened.

We’re not all afraid of the same things, but we are all afraid of some things.  A little fear of failure isn’t a bad thing, but if you allow it to control you to the point where you miss out on too many opportunities to enjoy the world around you, it’s not such a good thing.

My career in farm broadcasting has led me to many different countries over the years.  During a recent Bayer-sponsored trip to Dusseldorf, Germany, I could have done that which I typically do on trips such as this one and headed directly to the airport once the meetings had concluded and my final report was filed.  This time, I took an entire day for myself to walk, explore and take photographs (for myself, not for work).

We feel the pressure of a dismal ag economy. Many of us are overwhelmed not only with our work and responsibilities at home, but knowing there are evil forces and seemingly “normal” people committing heinous crimes in our world is daunting.

We get this one life to live, so why in the world would we let fear or anxiety cause us to miss out on all the good stuff?