Good morning SLAYER! Overcoming one fear, gives you the courage to overcome the next.
New blog goes up Sunday, until then… SLAY on!
Slay Say
carrie genzel
You Become The Fears You Dwell On
Most of us have fears.
It’s part of being human.
But when we give too much focus and energy to fear, we risk becoming exactly what we fear most.
Fear can be sneaky like that. It creeps in, takes root, and grows stronger the more we feed it. Eventually, it can start to shape how we think, how we act, and even how we show up in the world—often without us even realizing it.
Fear can become a self-fulfilling prophecy.
What we focus on, we feed.
And what we feed, grows.
Fear Is an Invitation
I’ve written before about attracting the kind of energy we want in our lives.
When we live in fear—or negativity—that’s often what ends up circling back to us.
It’s not magic. It’s not instant karma.
It’s energy.
It’s focus.
It’s the silent agreement we make with our fears every time we let them lead.
When I was living in my illness, I was consumed by fear.
It was everywhere—under the surface of every thought, every decision.
And the more I ignored it, the more power it had.
I didn’t want to face it, so I tried to numb it, outrun it, distract myself from it.
But fear doesn’t disappear just because we look away.
It waits. It grows. And eventually, I started to become what I feared most.
When Fear Becomes Identity
I was aware of what was happening.
And still, I didn’t stop it.
I fed my fears with avoidance, with negative thinking, with silence.
And my fear evolved into a kind of paralysis—I couldn’t see a way out, and I wasn’t asking for one.
But then a different kind of fear showed up—the kind that keeps us safe.
The kind that whispers, “You can’t keep going like this.”
The kind that leads to action.
I was terrified of being judged, of being labeled “crazy,” of being too far gone to help.
But I was also terrified of where my life was headed if I didn’t get help.
And that good fear? It won.
I reached out.
I asked for help.
And for the first time, I found a door out.
Reclaiming Power Over Fear
I’ve learned that I don’t have to live in fear.
I still feel it, yes—because again, I’m human.
But I don’t live there anymore.
I’ve learned to acknowledge it when it shows up and then move through it.
Today, I focus on:
- What I want to see in my life
- What I hope for
- What positive energy I can put into the world
I’ve built a spiritual connection that guides me and keeps me grounded.
I stay open to signs and nudges from the universe.
And I trust that fear is not something I have to surrender to.
It’s something I can listen to—but not let lead.
Use Fear as a Signal—Not a Sentence
Fear can be a compass.
Sometimes it points to the exact place where we need to do the most work.
Ask yourself:
- What am I really afraid of?
- What small action could I take to begin facing that fear?
- What would it feel like to stop giving that fear so much power?
This is a challenging time.
But it’s also the perfect time to focus on the good you want to create—for yourself, for your family, for your life.
You don’t have to become what you fear.
You can choose something different.
You can choose to SLAY.
SLAY Reflection: How Are You Using Your Fear?
- Do you tend to live in fear or let fear guide your decisions?
What are you most afraid of right now? - Do you notice yourself becoming what you fear?
What behaviors or beliefs might be feeding that? - What action could you take today to work through your fear—just one small step?
What would shift if you took it? - How does fear affect your energy and mindset?
What happens when you redirect your focus? - How can you bring more positive action into your life today?
Where can you reclaim your power?
Call to Action: Join the Conversation
I’d love to hear from you.
What’s one fear you’re ready to stop feeding, and what action can you take today to move through it?
Share your story in the comments. Let’s cheer each other on.
And if you know someone who’s stuck in fear or letting it lead their life, send this to them.
Sometimes, all we need is a nudge.
Slay Say
Good morning SLAYER! Keep an open mind and a compassionate heart.
New blog goes up Friday, until then… SLAY on!
Slay Say
Good morning SLAYER! It’s what we think we know that keeps us from learning.
SLAY on!
Live Between Always and Never
We often live life on autopilot.
We repeat the same routines, stick to the same beliefs, and follow the same patterns—not because they’re working, but because they’re familiar.
We tell ourselves this is just how we are.
We find comfort in the certainty of always and never.
But here’s the thing—certainty doesn’t always lead to progress.
I’ve written before about living in the gray, the in-between.
It’s in that space where change actually happens.
Where new ideas take root.
Where we make space for growth and possibility.
The middle is where transformation begins.
The Trap of Always and Never
Before I walked the path I’m on now, I was all about the extremes.
Always. Never.
I thought I knew what was best for me and I wasn’t interested in hearing otherwise.
I wasn’t happy—but I also wasn’t willing to change.
I stayed stuck. I stayed sick.
And I kept doing the same things over and over, expecting different results.
That wasn’t just frustrating—it was exhausting.
But it was also a product of my mindset.
I was clinging to always and never like a shield, and it was keeping me from moving forward.
The Power of Maybe
Everything began to shift when I allowed just a little room for maybe.
Maybe there’s another way.
Maybe I don’t know everything.
Maybe if I try something different, I’ll get a different result.
Recovery taught me that change only comes when you’re open to it.
I had to let go of the way I had always done things and be willing to try something new.
Was it uncomfortable? Yes.
Was it worth it? Absolutely.
Not everything I tried worked.
But trying was the point.
There were lessons in the failure—and confidence in the attempt.
Even now, I catch myself falling into that never mindset.
But I’ve learned to challenge it.
Because the best things in my life today?
They came from saying yes to something new.
From living in the middle.
From staying open.
Let Go of What’s Holding You Back
Stubbornness might feel like safety, but it often blocks growth.
It keeps us locked in patterns that no longer serve us.
It makes life smaller.
Living between always and never invites in the unknown—and yes, that can be scary.
But it also makes space for beauty, surprise, connection, and healing.
There’s a whole world you haven’t tried yet.
New waters to wade into.
New experiences that could change everything.
You’ll never know how warm the water is unless you take the first step in.
SLAY Reflection: Are You Open to the Middle?
- Do you tend to stick to the way you’ve always done things?
What impact has that had on your life? - Have you ever said no to something new—and later regretted it?
What was the opportunity, and what did you learn? - What parts of your life would you like to see change?
Are you willing to try something different to make that happen? - What are some small ways you could move away from always and never?
How could you make room for maybe or I’ll try? - What’s one thing you can say yes to today that pushes you out of your comfort zone?
What could open up if you did?
Call to Action: Join the Conversation
I’d love to hear from you.
What’s one moment in your life when saying “maybe” instead of “never” led to something unexpected—or even life-changing?
Share your story in the comments. Let’s cheer each other on.
And if you know someone who’s stuck in patterns that aren’t serving them, send this to them.
Sometimes, all we need is a nudge.
Slay Say
Good morning SLAYER! Plant the seeds you want to see grow.
New blog goes up Tuesday, until then… SLAY on!
Slay Say
Good morning SLAYER! Don’t ignore the truth for temporary happiness.
New blog goes up Sunday, until then… SLAY on!
Reality Has Two Sides: The Grim and The Pleasant
Reality isn’t just one thing.
It’s not all light. It’s not all dark.
It lives in the in-between—where truth, growth, and resilience are found.
Sometimes, especially when the world feels heavy, we lean into one side more than the other.
We might cling to the positive and avoid anything unpleasant.
Or we might become so focused on the negative that we lose sight of anything good at all.
But true clarity comes from being able to hold both sides—
To acknowledge what’s difficult while still seeking what’s beautiful.
When Reality Felt Like a Trap
When I was deep in my illness, the word “reality” felt like a punishment.
I wanted to escape it as much as possible.
So I did—by distraction, by denial, by diving into anything that gave me a quick fix of false peace.
Substances, shopping, friendships, exercise—whatever would pull me away from the darkness I was living in.
But the darkness always found its way back in.
Because I wasn’t looking at life clearly.
I was stuck in a one-lens view of the world—and that view was grim.
Even when something good happened, I didn’t trust it.
I expected it to be taken away.
And in that fear, I would sabotage the very light I craved.
I thought life was cruel.
But in truth, I was stuck in a loop of my own perspective.
The Shift Begins with Perspective
When I made the commitment to seek help, one of the biggest lessons I had to learn was this:
Life is both beautiful and brutal.
It contains joy and pain.
Peace and discomfort.
Light and shadow.
If I wanted to heal, I couldn’t keep turning away from the parts I didn’t want to see.
I had to look at life for what it was—and stop trying to control it through avoidance or fantasy.
One of my mentors compared life to the ocean—always ebbing and flowing.
Sometimes calm, sometimes crashing, but never still.
Even the moments that feel still are part of the movement.
That metaphor saved me.
Because it reminded me that hard times do pass.
And the good times don’t need to be clung to—they’re part of a rhythm.
I didn’t need to hide from reality.
I needed to learn how to ride the waves.
Balance is Where Power Lives
It’s easy to fall into extremes.
To live in denial and pretend everything is fine.
Or to spiral into the darkness and believe everything is falling apart.
But when we live in one extreme, we lose our power.
We stop making intentional choices.
We stop growing.
Reality, in its most honest form, gives us space to do something.
To help others.
To show up for ourselves.
To feel our feelings, without letting them control us.
To face what’s hard and still reach for what’s good.
It’s not about pretending everything is fine.
And it’s not about assuming it never will be.
It’s about finding the balance between the grim and the pleasant—
and choosing to live with eyes open and a heart that stays willing.
SLAY Reflection: How Do You See the World?
- Do you tend to view life through only one lens—either the positive or the negative?
Which one do you default to? - How has that perspective affected your emotional or spiritual well-being?
What have you gained—or lost—by living that way? - What makes it uncomfortable to see both sides of reality?
Where do you feel resistance? - What would it look like to live in the in-between more often?
How could that help you make more grounded decisions? - How can you honor both your challenges and your joy this week?
What small shift could move you toward balance?
Call to Action: Join the Conversation
I’d love to hear from you.
What’s one way you’ve learned to live in the balance between the difficult and the beautiful—and how has it changed your relationship with reality?
Share your story in the comments. Let’s cheer each other on.
And if you know someone who’s struggling to stay centered in uncertain times, send this to them.
Sometimes, all we need is a nudge.
Slay Say
Good morning SLAYER! Never allow waiting to become a habit.
New blog goes up Friday, until then… SLAY on!
Slay Say
Good morning SLAYER! The greatest waste of time is the time not getting started.
SLAY on!
