When it comes to facing your fears, it can be tough to let people see you as vulnerable and in a rough state, like this old sketch.
When I originally posted this, I thought I’d take one of my roughs out of my sketchbook. Is it facing my fears of showing my rough lines in all its glory? Perhaps. I did a lot of sketching then but didn’t have much time to create polished artwork unless I could invoice it.
Looking at this sketch and post seventeen years later, I was tempted to polish up the sketch again and take it into Adobe Illustrator. But that would defeat the whole purpose of the post, wouldn’t it? Let people see what a rough sketch looks like, right?
It reminded me of an article I read yesterday about a superpower we have as we get older. We get more resilient! Yes, as we go through challenging situations, our experiences prepare us for future stressors.
Faith and Facing Your Fears
I would add that faith plays a huge role for me in facing stress. When I remember situations where prayer and replacing fear with faith got me through a tough time, it reminds me that God got me through it before, and He will do it again. That is where counting my blessings and remembering where I’ve seen a miracle or two is so powerful.
Isn’t ironic that in the scriptures, Jesus tells us to have the faith of a child, yet age and experience tell us He has been there for us and He will be there again? I love that dichotomy!
I used this sketch and post to dole out some advice ten years ago. If you are going through a tough time, it has some helpful tips. I’m not a professional counselor. I’m just a guy that has seen some good and rough times. I’ve learned that facing your fears is worth it!
Editor’s Note: I originally published this blog on October 6, 2015. I revamped and updated it for timeliness and comprehensiveness.
