My fear is gone

The most amazing transformation has happened in my tennis playing this week.

In my blog last Monday, I logged the death knell of my lifelong fear of not being able to successfully do anything sports related. Well, the payoff this week has been far beyond my expectations.

I’m not afraid on the court anymore!

In preparation for our next big tournament in two weeks, I’ve played against strong opponents these past few days, and I’m not the same player I used to be. I’m more limber. I’m flexible. I’m not anxious, worried or fretting over my next shot. I’m generally free of worry or concern about whether I’ll hit the ball accurately or not. I’m able to focus better, forgive myself quicker and wholly enjoy the game.

I can’t tell you how huge of a change this is, and I never realized, until this week, how subtle fear has restricted my bodily movement on the court over the last three years.

My coach has incessantly told me to loosen up, relax my grip, follow through with my swings and be more limber. I would obey, but in minutes, fall back into a semi-rigid stance. This happened so often, I figured the tenseness was normal, a part of playing the game.

But this week, the tenseness is largely gone. Oh yes, I still get anxious at moments, grip the racket handle too tight and whack the ball out of bounds, but nothing like the past.

The corrosive fear is gone and my thinking, body and playing has been liberated. Not too mention my serves, which are far better.

I’ve thought about parallel lessons for healing of all physical ailments. Its common knowledge in Christian Science that fear is the number one detriment to progress in physical relief.

Fear stifles healthy action of the body, hampers freedom of movement, disrupts functions of the organs, locks up muscles, panics perspective, and prevents progress. Fear is anti-health. Its harmful and the source of great dismay, frustration and discouragement when seeking bodily relief.

I can see the bad effect of fear on the body more clearly than ever after what happened to my tennis playing this week. My body is so much more responsive and liberated with the fear gone. I can do so much more.

For decades, I had let subtle fears constrain my actions and stymie my progress in sports. I never knew what it felt like to be free of fear on the playing field. So, I thought a degree of tenseness was normal. Now I know the difference, and there is no turning back!

The same rule applies to relief for all types of bodily restrictions. Limitation in the body is fear manifest. When the underlying fear is gone, the body releases from the imprisoning effect of that fear. The muscles relax, the organs settle into a proper routine, and one’s overall sense of well being improves. Liberation! Healing happens.

When facing down any type of limitation, it is critical that we conquer fear. Fear is the enemy to be destroyed. Where there’s no fear, there’s no tension, constraint, restriction, stress or strain. There’s freedom of movement under the harmonious Mind-action of God where health is normal and ability unlimited.

Have a happy fear-free day!