Hey there, Funlifers! On the Pursuit of Balance podcast this past Tuesday, we discussed the 10 steps to combat fear and stress. Today, I want to touch upon 10th step from that podcast , "Running Towards Your Fears". I want to directly relate this to how it contributes to your health. I think it's safe to say that most of us live in "safety zone", often reaching for the lowest hanging fruit for satisfaction and acceptance. I want to make it entirely clear that there is absolutely nothing wrong with this. We all want different things in life and are driven by motivating factors. This email is for those who find that safety zone a little lonely. There is a correlation between running toward your fears and loneliness and satisfaction. Many of us, stay in the "safe zone" for a reason. Sometimes the reason has to do with the fact that what we want seems out of reach or often times its because we're told we need to have certain things and situations to be accepted by society. The result? Many of us lead our lives "having it all" but inside we're completely lonely because we fight what is organic to who we are uniquely as people and our understanding of ourselves is different than what others understand. On a human level we are all the same. We eat, drink, sleep, experience pain, happiness, fear etc etc. But what this means for each of us is different - as it should be! Think about it: If we were all the same, HOW BORING would life be? So, then why do we choose to live life in the "safe zone"? Because, it's safe! We're accepted by others. We're in control. And this is OK! But for those of us who feel the loneliness in the safety zone and know that the path to a more fulfilling life is just one footstep outside of that zone - this is for you. Inner loneliness is detrimental to our health. We see this in so many stories where people seem to "have it all" but are completely dissatisfied or depressed. Think of the analogy used in our podcast on Tuesday. If you just add one more rep or a little more weight outside of what you're comfortable with or you're used to - your sense of satisfaction grows and your strength increases. Pushing past that plateau you move into a more fulfilling and stronger self. It's amazing how much we focus on controlling all our tangibles (our workouts, our body, our material items, our image) but we neglect the most important aspect of our being - our inner voice!