I was recently invited to speak at a breast cancer fundraiser. I am a breast cancer survivor and a retired Public Health Nurse, so accepting the invitation seemed like a no-brainer. The catch: the speech occurs between games in a college basketball arena filled with thousands of people. The thought of doing this paralyzed me with fear.

Before responding to the request, I sat with it for a few days. I was sure I would say No. But I was also sure that this was something I needed to do. I realized that fear was clouding my decision-making process. I wondered what the situation would look like if I could remove Fear from the equation. So I did that. I put fear to the side and looked at the picture without it.

At that point, the invitation became an amazing opportunity. Giving this speech would be a chance, on a big scale, to decrease the fear of cancer and encourage early detection and treatment. And I would also be able to weave in many examples of compassion and Big Love. Of course I would do the speech! As soon as I gave my formal acceptance, the event was set in motion. And since I had allowed it without the fear, fear was no longer even part it. (Well, okay, yes it was. But it was a very small part. Lol).

Fear is discussed in Grandmother Dreams (p. 148):
“Fear, itself, is not a bad thing. It can be a tool. The realization of fear is, literally, a call to attention––pay attention to what is happening and shift your attention. Not away from it, but towards something else. Fear is a notice that disconnect is occurring. It is a reminder to reconnect. To reconnect, not with Ego, but with Spirit.”

Doing this speech will take courage. It’s not that I won’t be nervous, but I can choose to focus more of my attention on the positive aspects.