THE AGONY AND THE ECSTASY

The world is forever changing. Do not be hypnotised by today’s world. What seems strange today may be commonplace tomorrow or at least commonplace in years to come. So do not let the stereotypical thinking of the day stop you from experiencing life. And do not let fear stop you either. In fact you should congratulate yourself if you are feeling fearful because you are more than likely going forward. When I was boarding the plane in Sydney to fly to Los Angeles for my very first International Competition I was so nervous I was taking in big gulps of air and thinking, “What am I doing? Who do I think I am, going over to compete in the USA?” And when the plane was circling in a holding pattern before landing in LA I remember almost having a panic attack. I was so petrified at the thought of what I was doing.
But I also remember with an elevated heart how wonderful it was being given the title of MS Universe, Grandmaster Division, in a venue in New Mexico which held 5,000 people, with the crowd roaring and my image being beamed live across America. What an exhilarating fairy-tale experience that was! Here is the good news! After fear comes exhilaration. But the bad news is the only way you can get the exhilaration is to go through the fear in the first place. All of us are frightened of the unknown. It is normal to be frightened but do not let fear stop you because on the other side of the fear coin is success. Fear is on one side and success on the other. It is a bit like the agony and the ecstasy.