2010 Project 365 :: Day 036

Taken @ 10:47 am EST

Treat every step like your first.

That excitement, that anticipation, that fright – don’t let it fade as the days disappear.

Will the sun shine on your soul? Will the rain soak your dreams? Who knows, but don’t let life pass you by. Cry when the tears well up in your eyes. Love like you’ll never love again. Laugh when you feel joyous. Run after your dreams.

Less than a decade ago, I had social anxiety so crippling that I couldn’t open the front door to go to the mailbox. No job. No friends. No future. No present. My life was being wasted while I did nothing but take up space.

What happened? I pushed back. Have you ever had a fight with yourself? I would experience that daily. A constant loop of negative internal feedback. I didn’t just hit the stop button – I picked up the recorder and threw it against the wall. I wanted to be healthy, I wanted to smile, and the only one who could make that happen was me. Nothing changed overnight, but the past 7 years have been the most memorable of my life. I consciously jumped out into the light and ran back into the shadows … over and over until the shadows no longer existed.

My trepidation still rises from time to time, but I haven’t had an anxiety attack in nearly 2 years. This is one of my most immense achievements. When was the last time you surprised yourself?

[Image taken by Victoria Klein]