Love, Candy, and Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark

I was reminded this weekend of how important it is to do things you love... or things you think you will love... or things you think you might.  This applies to hobbies, it applies to adventures, and it applies to big-L love.  Oh, and candy.  You can never have too much candy!

Well, actually you can.

But you should definitely have some.

When I think about Halloween movies and the tales that scare us most, it seems that many of them include regrets. People or demons come back from the past for revenge or to take back what they are owed.  While I don't expect I'll ever live out the experiences from films like Paranormal Activity or Saw, I do have fears.

But are my biggest fears regrets about what I have done or what I haven't done?  For me, I tend toward inaction when I'm unsure.  I wait, watch, research, contemplate... until the door has closed, the opportunity has passed, my chance of epic failure has gone the way of the buffalo.  But what is lost then becomes equal to what could have been gained.  What about the job I missed out on, the loving relationship I never got the chance to create, or just the bragging rights of having accomplished something so daring or crazy or unbelievably weird as ___fill in the blank___?

What is the personal tipping point that will get me past my fears?  I've tried lists of the New Year's Resolution variety.  I've had moments of inspiration, where I felt like I could go out and take over the world.  I've tried to hold myself accountable by dangling a carrot of "when I do this, I can have that."  All of these attempts have shown promise, but none are a consistent way of moving myself forward.

The trick is to keep coming back to the question of what is important to me.  If I revisit this topic on a regular basis, I won't be able to stray too far from the path I truly should be on.  And when I'm following a path dictated by this internal compass, I will know that I am doing what I want to do, that I am striving for the life I most desire in my little heart of hearts.  If I can see the goal in plain sight, I'll be more likely to take the risks I need to take. And I'll be easier on myself for the little missteps along the way.

As a very wise woman once said:

"Take chances! Make mistakes! Get messy!" ~ Ms. Frizzle (The Magic School Bus).

After all, if we don't take chances, we will never know what we're capable of.  And what could be scarier than that?

Wishing you an over-flowing bowl of candy this Halloween!

-Elizabeth