WHENEVER I FEEL AFRAID...

Picture this:  a young girl sits at her desk, her forehead creased in concentration.  She has every ounce of her energy focused on a single piece of paper.  Her hands are fidgeting, her knee is bouncing up and down, and her breath is less steady than usual.

I just described myself as I will most likely look tomorrow morning.  Tomorrow is my first day of sophomore year, and that piece of paper in my hand is my schedule--which, I pray, is accurate.

Perhaps it's the perfectionist in me, but when I'm not precisely sure about the outcome of things, I tend to get nervous.  As you can imagine, I'm nervous quite a lot.

We're all nervous quite a lot.  We all tend to be afraid of the unknown, and a new school year is a perfect example of an unknown territory.

How do we fight the fear?  How do we ignore it?  I could tell you in my own words, but I have a few song lyrics that sum it up far better than I ever could:

"Whenever I feel afraid, I hold my head erect, and whistle a happy tune so no one will suspect I'm afraid.  While shivering in my shoes, I strike a careless pose, and whistle a happy tune so no one ever knows I'm afraid.  The result of this deception is very strange to tell, for when I fool the people I fear, I fool myself as well."

It may strike you as a little silly at first, but it works!  You don't have to stroll in the building whistling, but you can stroll in with your head held high;  before you know it, you'll have even convinced yourself that you aren't the least bit nervous or anxious. A calm, confident person is more likely to have a better outlook than a nervous wreck--and your outlook defines your entire year.

Trust me on this:  "You may be as brave as you make believe you are."

Love,
Tori