by Gwendolyn Gordon

Created on: June 28, 2009   Last Updated: June 30, 2009

Throughout the course of my life, I've realized that if one doesn't feel at least a little fear day-to-day you can hardly consider yourself alive. What is life without fear? I mean, aren't you just kind of coasting along?

I'm in the deepest, darkest part of the worst situation of my life thus far - job loss. I'm a 36-year-old single woman living alone in a state thousands of miles away from any family. That is something that would cause fear in even the most fearless person.

Yes, I'm afraid - terrified in fact. The funny thing is, I've been coasting along. You know those times in life - the very rare times-when you look around and take stock of your life and realize everything is really going pretty darn well. Well, I've been doing that for a few months now. I was satisfied - complacent, I guess. That's not the kind of life I want.

I want to be constantly challenged to do more, to be better. The only way to have that challenge is fear. Fear of failure, fear of being alone, plain old fear. It makes you think about things, appreciate what you have. It propels you to the next level of great in your life-forces you follow your dreams.

I've been in a job for all of my adult life that I'm really good at. A job that pays me well and that I knew exactly where I'd be in five or ten years. It's a job, however, that makes no difference at all. I can remember so many times over the years thinking to myself how meaningless this job is. What difference would it make if I even did anything at work today?

That's what I find interesting about the curve balls life throws at us - I would've stayed in this job for the rest of my career. This meaningless, unsatisfying job-until I lost it. Admittedly, when I found out I was losing my job my heart sank. I didn't want to imagine what my life would be like without it. It had become my life. I was terrified - scared beyond belief. I had no idea how I was going to support myself and no way to get to my family. Then it hit me - I felt alive again.

I didn't want this job to be my life, I was just afraid to do anything about i t- until I was forced to. That fear pushed me into the thing I'd wanted to do my whole life. Without fear, I wouldn't be following my dreams to see where they take me. I wouldn't have my life back - the life that belonged to my job a few short months ago. Fear is a great, healthy, beautiful thing.

Learn more about this author, Gwendolyn Gordon.
Click here to send this author comments or questions.