Categories
#MyFitspiration

Free from Fear Part 2

So…here’s Part 2! We know that yesterday there were some server issues (We’re sure it was because so many of you were checking out the blog;), so be sure to share in the comments. You never know when we’ll drop into the conversation!!

Part 1 if you missed it.

xxoo
Olivia & Hannah

34 replies on “Free from Fear Part 2”

Awww, Hannah and Olivia, I LOVED your emotion and passion in this video. I love the idea of being an overcomer…I wish I could! I agree and think it’s important to take control of my life instead of letting it control me. I can’t even imagine what it would be like to feel free because I have never felt free and long for it with everything in me. I appreciate that you are both a testimony that it CAN happen. I don’t have the help or support around me that you suggest, but I am finding it so helpful to have ya’all responding on Twitter and on these blogs. THAT is so supportive to me personally and I am SO VERY THANKFUL that you take the time for others, like me, who you don’t even really know but it seems like you genuinely care about. I don’t know what yet I will choose to overcome this week, but I accept the challenge and look forward to sharing what I overcome (there are so many to choose from). I will declare victory over one fear this week, I will testify, and maybe it will help someone else and I’m kind of excited already just thinking about it! I’m a little afraid to hope it will happen but…oops, there’s another fear huh?! Any tips, suggestions, help, or stories that might help me figure out how to hope?

I also really appreciate what you said about only having today, this moment, one step and not the whole entire journey. I’m going to CHOOSE to believe that I don’t have to be afraid because a life of fear is no life at all.

And Hannah, when you giggled at the end, the joy was SO BEAUTIFUL to see!

Thanks again oh so much!
JJ

PLEASE don’t cry Hannah!! It breaks my heart, because I can’t reach through the screen, wrap my arms around you & love the tears away!

I overcome fear every time I reach out to people. I just wish more people would grab on to me & show me that they care. I’m also Still waiting for someone to take my hand & guide me to a better life. As I stated yesterday, my biggest fear is being alone for the rest of my life.

Hi Duane,
While I am afraid I will never experience the joy of another person choosing me to love, I wanted to reach out to you and tell you that even if you are alone, you can live an amazing life of joy! I pray that whatever is best for your life will manifest and that you will experience the wonder of being alone without being lonely until the day that you meet someone to share your life with (if that is what is best for you). Keep reaching out!

As small as this may seem, I just took on one fear. I ran alone for 30 minutes. Granted I had my pepperspray with me the whole time, but I made it. Yeah, that probably seems petty and not even worth saying anything, but with the nonsense I have dealt with and the fears I have it was a huge task accomplished for me 🙂 I may seem weak and I often times feel that way, but like you both said, its my CHOICE on whether or not I will live in fear and hearing that really made a huge impact on my mindset.

Thank you! Now the big fears need to be addressed…. its going to take a lot of strength to get through this…

(My fear was being alone/escaping my terrible relationship)

Hi Whitney,
I don’t think that seems like a small accomplishment at all. I am proud for you and I hope you are proud of yourself! Cheers to you and to more overcoming!

I think I’m like a thing in-between the two of you, I’m a complete mix, which is totally weird. I live my life being afraid of failing. Being so afraid of doing something wrong that I dont do it at all. Mostly when it comes to my relations with other people. I think its because I’ve been hurt so many times, and I let myself hurt easily. However, Im also the control type of person. I have always had straight As, I did well in the relationships I made with the people that I did actually trust, Ive always been very social, but still very reserved, Im a good conversationist, I take control over my conversations, but I dont have the guts to take control of my own life. My own health. Because Im afraid I cant do it. Im afraid people will say “I told you so”. Im afraid I will be rejected. I dig a big whole in the ground every time I do get rejected, either from other people or myself. So now Im challenging myself to take actions. To do the very best I can in eating right, working out right and having good relationships with other people.

I plan to pick up litter, including glass bottles, near a tree that I have been chain-sawing into pieces.

I have a fear that I will pick up ticks but I want to do the work nonetheless and then check myself over a little for ticks and put on fresh clothes.

I will probably take that up on Saturday.

Hi Hannah & Olivia,

This is my first time commenting on your blog, although I have been reading for a while now. I love you guys!

Your video was such serendipitous timing for me as I have been pondering the idea of fear in my life for the past few days (I am such an introvert- so pondering is one of my favourite hobbies!). What your video helped me do was the relate the idea of fear to my health and fitness goals. I need to lose about 15kg (35pounds or so) to get into a healthy weight range for my height. In addition I have some fitness/sports goals I want to reach like running a 5k, 10k and half-marathon. Have been kind of working towards these goals by myself and not really getting anywhere. I’ve always wanted to do like a several week group personal training programme at a gym but have been so afraid (I’m too unfit….I won’t be able to keep up, It’ll cost too much money etc).

Anyway, today, in response to your video, I have just signed up for a 6 week women’s Crossfit programme (with 3 training sessions each week) and I am so excited. The only downside is it doesn’t start til May 7th and I just want to do it now! (By the way please excuse my NZ spelling of words!!) I am slowly starting to realise my potential, and that the only limitations that actually exist for me are the ones I place on myself! So yay!

P.S. I’m super-excited to see what Crossfit is all about.

I am SCARED! I know if I post this “outloud” that I have to do it.. I am not sure I am ready but I guess that is why I am afraid. I want to be a member of the Overcome Club. I want to look back and show myself that I don’t have to be afraid to stand on my own two feet without TED. This week I am going to look for an Eating Disorder Group (and even try to attend a group session). I will not let my fear of being judged stop my recovery from this eating disorder. Ty Jimmy and Kelly for giving me the encouragement to face this fear head-on!

I stated on your last blog that I was fearful that I won’t have the perserverance/motivation to lose the weight I need to. Well I did my weekly weigh in this morning and *gasp* after working my butt off this week my weight stood its ground. I didn’t lose an ounce. It also happens that I’m at the weight that has been my BRICK wall for several years now. I’ve never been under it as an adult. So here i was again, feeling defeated by that wall and all I wanted to do was grab a bag if candy and eat away my sorrows, (which I started to do). Then I remembered this video and how you ladies said it will be worth it, and I believed you. So today, instead of giving up and repeating a pattern I have followed for years, I’m going to run 5 miles. The longest I ever have. I may not be able to completely control my weight loss, but I can control my fitness goals, and I will. Thank you ladies for truly caring and believing in me.

Just wanted to follow up with my comment, and let ya’ll know I just finished my run and I did 6 FREAKING MILES! Just to say SCREW YOU OBSTACLES!! Hahaha That is so extremely far from where I started (maybe being able to run about a 1/4 mile?) and I am so proud of myself. Even if this weight takes longer than I’d like to get off of me, you can count on two things: 1. I WILL be healthier and more fit every week no matter what the scale says and 2. This excess fat WILL come off of me. Here’s to being overcomers!!! 😀 <3

Melissa I am smiling and almost laughing out loud while reading your comment! You go girl! I read your first comment and could totally relate and am myself working on changing patterns. I really feel inspired after reading your post! 🙂

This is my first time posting and I’m kinda of scared to put this out there but that is the point of this. I have an autoimmune disorder and I feel like I have been using it as a crutch for so long. It has been so hard to lose weight because I have been on a steroid for 12 years non stop. I use that as an excuse when it comes to eating and I use my autoimmune disorder as an excuse to workout. My husband and I are wanting to have kids soon and I want to become healthier for my pregnancy and my future children. I am biting the bullet and going to a work out class Monday right after work. I just recently moved so I hope it helps me meet new friends and begin to get healthier!

I really feel like we are on such similar journeys, and am encouraged whenever I read what you girls have to say. Claiming power over fear and living in true freedom are the two most powerful things I have been shown this year.

I would highly recommend the book Mindset by Carol Dweck. It has really influenced my claiming power over fear and knowing I can do all things – i just have to choose to.

Saturday I picked up glass bottles and more ancient refuse near where I chain-sawed tree parts. I faced my fear of getting ticks because I felt the need to do the work. Looked myself over, showered, changed clothes, and I don’t think I will get tick bites from it. No Lyme Disease this time. 😀 And I hope you two had a profitable time facing fears.

I got Jillian Michael’s Making the Cut book and I have been afraid to do it. The workouts and strict diet scare me. What if I can’t do it? What if I fail? I am looking fear in the face and doing it. I have read the book and feel ready to face my fear. Today is the first day of this fearful challenge. Follow me on my blog. We can do it together! Take that fear. Bam!

I feel I am an overcomer in some aspects of my life and some I still have yet to conquer. My biggest accomplishment was running in the NYC Marathon this past November. I had lost about 50lbs but I was still very slow at running and I was SCARED! I would cry during training, afraid that I wouldn’t make it through the whole marathon. I’m lucky because my friends are so supportive and they helped keep me positive. I did finish! It took me over 6 hours but I did it! And it was the best feeling in the world and I definitely wasn’t afraid anymore.

Next I wanted to join a running group in my area to keep me going and give myself new goals. I was very afraid because I felt like I couldn’t keep up with the other runners and what would they think of me. A friend told me of this great group that had all different types of runners and they were nice and not ultra competitive so I decided to give it a try. My first day running, my worst fear happened… I GOT LOST!!! I was slower than everyone and didn’t know which way they went. I was mortified but kept going. I eventually found my way of course. And guess what… no one cared. They didn’t think any less of me. I went out again next week but this time I studied the course better so I would know which way to go when I was in the back by myself. Now I’m a member of this great group of people who were cheering me on at our local 5k that I finished in under 31 mins! My 3rd PR in a race this month! If I had never gone back for fear of running slower than everyone else, I may have never pushed myself to improve my times. (I ran a 10k last week almost a full 6 minutes faster than I did in January).

Now, if I could only conquer my fear of dating the way I have running…

It seems like everywhere I look lately, fear is the topic of discussion. I do believe that everything happens for a reason. This includes the topic of fear, which is how I have been living my life. I never realized how much fear has ruled my life. I fill my head with “what ifs” that keeps me from leaving my comfort zone and reaching for my dreams. I worry about what other people think, worry about society’s standards, worry about…well, everything. This week I ran in the park by myself. I was grateful to read Whitney’s post, which did help me face my fear of running alone in a park. It was a very enjoyable experience and one that I plan on continuing.
This has been a week of realizations. Up to now, I have been fearful to leave my current job. It is a stressful job that is not fulfilling. I am working on increasing my fitness level and losing weight. I have a natural tendency to want to help others. So, tomorrow I will be quitting my job so that I can begin the journey of helping others. I hope to inspire others and assist them through their personal journeys.
Thank you Olivia and Hannah, you both have been such an inspiration to me!!!

This is the year that I am completely breaking free from my fear of the past, future, and present. For my entire life, I have worked at the same place…and I am grateful and thankful for the experiences I have had and the way this job has provided for me. (It is in a restaurant). During this time, I have worked through college and earned my college degree. Even though I overcame the odds and completed college I was still afraid to leave my job, partly because I was a poor orphan growing up and it was the first security I ever experienced. I am so totally ready to leave that job, that label, and that false sense of security behind me!! I have an interview to get in grad school next friday, to get a degree in counseling, april 27th and I am going to nail it!!! And then I am going to leave the restaurant business for good and take the first steps towards my future:) In the words of one of my favorite singers, Matt Maher, “And we will celebrate our freedom, dancing on our broken chains” I proclaim VICTORY!!!!

Olivia & Hannah, you women are amazing & inspiring! Thanks for the video posts on fear. They are encouraging! I’ve always been a worry wart & battled fear. However, this last year, it has turned into anxiety & panic attacks. Before my young son had his tonsils out, I had my first panic attack. I really felt I was dying! Since then, I seem to be battling a fear of dying on almost a daily basis. Being I’m overweight & therefore unhealthy, I just fear I’m going to drop dead & leave my husband to raise our 3 young children alone. To think of their sadness & having to get through my death is overwhelming at times. I’ve started exercising & eating better & have lost about 40lbs. I still have about 100 to go, which can be defeating to think about, but I’m not going to fear this too! I have a strong faith, so I’m looking to the Lord for His help to conquer this and my fear if dying! I’m really encouraged & inspired by your words about fear and how we don’t need to live in it! Like the girl above, I’m proclaiming the VICTORY too! Thankful to both of you! God bless!

THANK YOU! THANK YOU! THANK YOU FOR THIS VIDEO!!!! I have been living in fear of failing, of being disappointed. I lived in fear of wondering what other people thought about me. It wasn’t until this year that i decided I am going to get a personal trainer, I am going to eat right. I was one of those people who would go out to eat and then was afraid my friends were judging me one way or another. Eating horribly- I felt like they were judging me and just watching me sink deeper and deeper into obesity. If I ate healthy- I feel like they were like why is she even bothering? She has so far to go. About 3 months ago, I decided I was not going to be afraid of anything, not my weight, not the scale, not what people had to say.

I made a vow to myself to live my life as I see fit. I sent an email to my entire family and let them know I was starting the journey into the rest of my life. They were so supportive and to this day. I am down 20 pounds since that day but down 70 pounds since my heaviest weight. I feel liberated and knowing that I have nothing to fear and sharing my experiences is making this weight loss journey that much more enjoyable.

Thank you for this video. Thank for you being amazing! You are so inspirational! 🙂

Hi Hannah & Olivia!

This is my first time posting on your blog, or any blog for that matter. You two are just fabulous!

The whole issue of fear is one that really puzzles me. I am in the thick of trying to lose weight. I have lost 40 pounds since March of last year, but now I am stuck. And let me tell you, I am scared to death! The best way to describe it is that for the past year I feel like I have been on a roller coaster car climbing up hill through my weight loss journey. Now it is like I have stopped in the middle of the hill and I am TERRIFIED that I am going to fall backwards all the way back down! I need to lose another 40-50 pounds and I am so scared. I got to a really good place and in a really good momentum, or so I thought. The momentum has stopped. I really haven’t gotten to the core of why I am overweight, but I really didn’t think it was fear. Maybe it is? I have no clue. But thank you for making me think. 🙂

Love you gals!

Hey girls! This is my first time commenting on your blog! I am so encouraged by your testimonies and the powerful transformation that has taken place in your life, both physically and emotionally. One fear that I conquered TODAY was going to a cycling class! I’ve lost 65 pounds and I am now fit and healthy. I’ve been wanting to try out the cycling class at my gym for quite some time now but today was the day I finally had the courage to do it! I had a blast and I’m eager to go again!

Hannah and Olivia,

I just want to tell you what an encouragement and inspiration you both are. Your message about overcoming fear is so timely in my life. Being reminded that fear is a choice to live in gives me courage to keep trying even when I have setbacks. I think that often I fear that people really are not rooting for me to succeed so it is easier not to try. However, recently I had an experience that turned the tables on that logic. I broke my elbow in December in an icy fall down the stairs and you could say that fear moved back into my life after that. “What if I get hurt again?” But over the last several months I’ve been doing physical therapy and rather than drive, I’ve been walking there and back and attempting to “power walk”. Last week as I was finishing up all of my physical therapy, I was walking home and a car full of teenage boys slowly drove by and they shouted out the window at me, “Good job, lady! Good effort! Keep it up!” That moment made me realize that even perfect strangers here in my small town want to encourage people who are trying to engage in fitness, even if they are doing baby steps. If young people I don’t even know are willing to believe in me, I should believe in me too. This week, I need to start preparing to move to a new apartment. The fear I am going to conquer is hauling boxes down the stairs I broke my elbow on and I’ll be accomplishing two things at once – getting things off to Goodwill and getting a creative workout in. Thanks!

Hannah & Olivia, first off, I just wanted y’all to know that I think you are fabulous! Also, as far as overcoming fears go, I found this to be a tough challenge for me. I realized though that I have already overcome quite a few fears with my husband at my side, who I have been married to almost a year now. The unknown is what usually scares me, not knowing what is going to happen for me or my husband or with a house, finances, whatever the case, I HAVE TO KNOW! lol.
Yeah, so we got married in June of 2011, one month after I got out of college, definitely sooner than either of us were expecting. We are both in the US Air Force and that was a HUGE leap of faith for me personally, to follow my husband to a city/Air Force base I had never been to and meet a whole bunch of new people. Also, dealing with an uncertain/unplanned future with my specific job area has been challenging. Having someone tell you, Congratulations! you’re an officer! and then being unemployed basically for a whole year until they send you off to a year’s worth of more schooling/job-training away from friends or family is very trying on the patience and wears down my joy at times. I have however, been determined to not let that be an excuse for me to sit around and feel sorry for myself.
I got over my fear of putting myself out there and had a part time job for a while, I also dealt with the uncertainties of the Air Force by getting back into my old running routines, which I had been scared of previously due to a bad knee injury a couple of years ago when I was training for the Houston marathon.

More importantly, I know the biggest thing I have overcome is that I stopped letting myself get in the way of a great relationship with a man I trust and who loves me so much. My husband is amazing and I am so lucky that he has been there every step of the way with me for the past 4 years. God bless y’all, Hannah and Olivia for all the encouragement you give us “ordinary” peeps 🙂

Sooo I bought this Groupon for CrossFit and I’m very scared and fearful of starting. I know it’s super tough and I’m in no way super fit, but I’m going to overcome my fear and embrace CrossFit, that is my challenge to myself.

For the past eight years I let fear completely rule my life. I was depressed, unhappy and basically just living in a shell day to day and getting by. Until about 3 years ago I had been bulimic with anorexic tendencies and just hated my body. After having a minor stroke at age 21 the realization of what I was doing to myself set in and I was able to get parts of my life back… but it hasn’t been easy. After having an eating disorder for so long it’s like your mind is warped that being “skinny” is unhealthy and eating healthy is torture of some kind. So even though I started eating regularly I was eating horribly and trying to convince myself I was ok and quickly put on a ton of weight. Since all of this has happened I’ve put my weight on the back burner of my mind and just tried to accept myself. It wasn’t until last year when I started watching Biggest Loser Season 11 reruns that I was inspired by you Hannah and Oliva to get my life back and finally take a healthy approach to living. You two just really struck a cord with sometime in me that made me realize so much about myself that I was too afraid to see. I battle the fear everyday with the choices that I make but for the first time in my life I am truly happy. So thank you both for helping me overcome my fears daily just by being who you are and being a huge inspiration.

What a great day to finally be able to sit down and visit your site. After spending the better part of my life battling my weight (and gaining and losing more times than I can count on both hands!), I am finally trying to take control of my life. I’ve lived my entire life in fear…..afraid I wouldn’t live up to what I felt like everyone expected of me, afraid that I would spend the rest of my life running in circles and never really getting anywhere. I have always hid my biggest fear from most people…..I am absolutely terrified of being alone. Not physically alone, but emotionally alone. I struggle daily with the thought that I can’t really expect someone else to love me when I am unable to love myself. I am my own worst enemy in my hopes and fears in life. I am surrounded by wonderfully amazing people that give so freely of themselves. I am blessed to be the teacher of some of the most amazing students in the world. I love them all unconditionally and they make me feel like I have somehow made a difference. I feel like on the inside I am one heck of a catch. I just can’t see past the exterior (I see myself the way I assume all men will see, whether they do or not). I don’t define my life by whether or not I have found Mr. Right, nor do I think that I have to “have a man”. I just know that I want to share my life with someone and I am the main obstacle standing in my own way.

I have a milestone birthday coming in a few months and am tired of living my life in a shell that I hate. So, beginning tomorrow I am getting back on the wagon (AGAIN!). I have some pretty amazing folks in my corner, but I just feel hesitant to verbalize how they can be helpful. I know how to get started, I just have to see where I go from here.

Thank you both for being such an inspiration to me and countless others. I hope to be able to share my journey with others they way you share yours with us. 🙂

I just signed up for a 5k! I did my very first one last September and have been wanting to do another one but have been too scared to commit. This one isn’t until this September but it will be awesome.

Just thought I would give you an update. I posted that I was going to do a Crossfit 6 week programme. Just at the end of week one of it now and am loving it 🙂

I did box jumps for the first time in my life. I have been avoiding them in boot camp class because I was sure i would miss and fall.. but I did them for 1 minute solid. Tomorrow I tackle spinning for the first time ever.

Hello Olivia and Hannah!

I have occasionally watched BL and a friend recently urged me to go back and watch your season as I have applied for BL14 (and am awaiting anxiously to see if they like my video!) The reason my friend wanted me to watch that season was because she thought I’d relate to a lot of the contestants and, Hannah, you were probably the one I felt I connected with the most! Both of you, of course, were wonderful and I loved watching you two make it to the end 🙂

I also finally found your blog and have loved going through these archives to see what you two amazing chickas have to say.

I learned at a young age that something might fall through, but that if I didn’t try definitely nothing would happen. This has been something that has helped me a lot in terms of theater auditions (“I might not get the part but if I don’t try I definitely won’t” is my mantra) and in some really great projects I have gone for. Right now, for example, I am in Estonia working on a final project for my degree in photography. If I didn’t have that knowledge to just go for it, I would have NEVER figured out how to fund it and get here. My other point of pride is a podcast I started at my University which is really starting to pick up steam and get followers simply because I put the “what if”s aside and just did it.

That said, being a big gal I find my hardest fear to overcome is in the realm of dating. I have a tricky situation in that there is someone I’m interested in that I can’t really do anything about right now, but I am so afraid of what I’m going to do when the time comes that I CAN do something about it. I’m worried I’m going to chicken out and not say or do anything because the most ruling thought with it, at the moment, is that I can’t imagine how he’d EVER be attracted to me. These posts are going to be my new motivational reminder, because (like everything else) he might not reciprocate my feelings, but if I don’t try… I’ll never know. So I can’t really tell you about a fear I’ve already overcome, but here’s my commitment to you that I won’t let my fears get in my way!

Thanks for the reminder!!!

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *