Temperance

My tarot “card of the day” yesterday was Temperance and part of its message was to remind me that when working on a project – to change a little, then step back and assess the results and to find balance before moving forward. This seemed to be good guidance for making changes and it occurred to me that I had already been using the same strategy for conquering fear.
I remember when deciding it was time to address my fear of riding a bicycle faster, a friend said he could show me how to increase my skill and confidence. We rode to a particularly scary steep hill and on our first trip down the hill my instructions were to ride down using the brakes gently to keep me at a speed I was comfortable at. Next trip down I braked less, next time no braking at all until I progressively, step by step, built up my skill, confidence and courage to actually pedal down the hill! After that experience, I have used that same principle to successfully conquer some of my other fears.
I have a history of being somewhat impulsive. You know the type, “jump in the deep end and then swim as hard as you can”, that’s me! While this approach can be fun, it can also be a very stressful way to operate. I have always admired the people who have the ability to make decisive and courageous changes in their life in a carefully considered, measured way. A strategy of making changes step by step could be a way to avoid unnecessary stress. I plan to give it a try over the next few months, while I make some life changes.