Montez Blair: Basketball + Track & Field

The Fear In Me

Fear of achieving the ‘you won’t’. Fear of achieving the ‘you can’t’. Fear of meeting each expectation of incapability in other’s eyes and voices. Fear of being inadequate. Fear of being less than. Fear of the finish line. The Fear of failing. Their Fear of failing. My Fear of failing. MY FEAR OF FAILING…perfection.

Forever pitted in the back of my mind. Possessing mass potential but not knowing how to get there. Even once there, how to nurture and nourish. Then it hit me.

Choice.

Asset to benefit. Potential to podium. Fear is the catalyst. And I choose to make Fear my ignition to all goals and admirations. That tension in your chest that feels like your heart is caving in on itself before taking the last shot with 3 seconds left. The tightness in your stomach just before the gun sounds and race commences. The strong blood flow drawing hyper awareness to the pulsing in your toes, fingertips and face as you think back to the thousands of hours put into this single moment.

That presence of Fear is either your biggest antagonist or your greatest hero. Ironically, both characters in this story are you. And you get to choose which to be.

I choose to let fear propel me.