Don't Let Fear Hold You Back

Have you ever done something even though you were afraid to do it? I am not talking about phobias, I am talking about fears, insecurities, worries. What is fear? Fear has been described as "False evidence appearing real". We all have a certain amount of fears, insecurities, and worries.

The first weekend of this month, I decided to go to New York City to meet over 50 people in person who I have only met in Google+ hangouts. Before I went to New York City, people were telling me stories of large crowds in Times Square and about getting lost on subways. I normally do not like crowds, and have fears of getting lost. So needless to say, I was a little bit panicked about going to "the Big Apple" alone. But mostly, I was afraid that the people I was meeting would not be what I expected. What if they weren't nice in person, what if they didn't like me, what if they rubbed me the wrong way, what if they smelled, what if we didn't hit it off ??? What if the connection we had made in hangouts was not actually real ? All of my insecurities came up to the surface, but since I had already bought my plane ticket, I was going to go no matter what. Chee Chew, the chief engineer of the Google+ hangouts, told me that I would find that the connections are as real in person as they are in the hangouts, I was hoping he was right.

The first person that I met was Robert Redl, his flight came in one hour after mine, so I had one hour to stress out by myself at the airport. As soon as I saw Robert, I knew that Chee was right, we had the same connection in person as in the hangout, it actually felt like we had always been together, even though we are an ocean apart physically. Everybody that I met was as wonderful in real life as they were in the hangouts. I had thought there might be a difference meeting them in person, but there wasn't. There wasn't any awkwardness, it just felt like I was seeing old friends after a long time, the connection was immediate and just as strong.

I was lucky enough to get a tour of downtow
NYC, Times Square, and Grand Central Station from my good friends Joseph Puglisi and Boris Gorelik (my photographer for the weekend). My personal bodyguard, Frank Garufi Jr. was always around to ensure that I was safe. I enjoyed spending time with my good friends Bruce Garber, Rodney Pike, and Eileen McAllister throughout the weekend. We were all fortunate to get a tour of the Google office in NYC, took in two awesome concerts, we participated in a photowalk tour with some amazing photographers, and I even had a walk in Central Park. I never would have had these experiences if I had bowed down to my fears and backed out of the trip. Be aware of your fears, but live your life anyway. I am sooo grateful for that weekend, for all of the people involved in organizing the trip, and for all who attended and participated. It was one of the best weekends of my life. Continue to live a life filled with light, love, grace, and miracles. :)