While I know there is a time and a place to run for your life, I also believe that there are many more times to rise and fight for your existence.

While FOMO (fear of missing out) isn’t really my thing, FOMM (fear of making mistakes) is a HUGE issue for me.

I continually find myself seeking sanity,  control over my OCD, and much needed R&R. My attention span could use some serious CPR and there are definitely times when my self-esteem is MIA.

Here’s the beauty of this post. When confidence, intent, and positivity are AWOL, always remember there is F.E.A.R.

Face Everything And Rise.

Every night my son brings books home from his 1st grade classroom library to read for homework. Most of the stories he selects are about outer space, dinosaurs, mud, or mice that bake, but this week he brought home a book about Wilma Rudolph.

Wilma Rudolph was a runner in the 1956 and 1960 Olympics. She won many medals and set records. Rudolph had not always been able to run though. After suffering from scarlet fever and polio in her childhood, Wilma developed problems with her left leg and had to wear a brace. Her determination to keep up with the other 21 children in her family led to tremendous skill as an athlete. After retiring from running, Rudolph went on to coach, teach, and inspire other athletes.

When we had finished the book, my son said, “So she just kept running with her brace?”

I replied, “Yup, she never gave up and became stronger, so she didn’t need the brace.”

“Was she scared?” he asked.

Scared?

What about the story had been scary?

I thought maybe my son remembered the part about how she overcame racial discrimination or that she was only 16 when she ran in her first Olympics, so I asked what he thought might have frightened Wilma.

My boy wondered, “Was she scared of falling down?”

There it was FOMM!

Wilma Rudolph most likely was afraid of falling many times. In fact, I reminded him that the book told us she tripped in a hole at the 1960 Olympics and turned her ankle badly. She didn’t give up. Wilma taped her ankle and ran so fast she broke an Olympic record. She overcame her fear of failing and persevered. Many consider her one of the Greatest Of All Time (GOAT).

After putting the Wilma Rudolph book away, I thought about how she really lived by Face Everything And Rise. I’m not sure I could have remained as dedicated to sports or put up with the challenges of racism the way she did.

I needed to learn more about Wilma Rudolph. In my research I found the following quote from her:

 “Winning is great, sure, but if you are really going to do something in life, the secret is learning how to lose. Nobody goes undefeated all the time. If you can pick up after a crushing defeat, and go on to win again, you are going to be a champion someday.”

Now that is someone who understood what Face Everything And Rise meant! She didn’t seem to let FOMM keep her down.

So today I leave you with a lesson I learned from my son’s 1st grade reader. Take on fear like Wilma Rudolph. You won’t miss out on anything worthwhile or make mistakes that aren’t meaningful if you remember what motivates you. Leaving things to be forgotten or running away will never make you a champion of anything.

Accept that there are going to be struggles and build up your Intentergy with the knowledge that you won’t win at everything, but you will find your own personal greatness when you Face Everything And Rise.

By: Melanie A. Peters

P.S. I made up FOMM, but I assure you it is very real.

P.P.S. Here is a link to Biography on Wilma Rudolph. https://www.biography.com/athlete/wilma-rudolph