UnFettered
Why am I doing this?
I’ve asked myself this question a thousand times. I struggle between my heart”s desire to help others (and, God willing, inspire and possibly motivate someone) and that nagging voice in the back of my head that says, “nobody cares what you are doing, where you are going or what you have to say.”
I have been afforded the great opportunity these past few years to go on a spiritual and soul searching journey. I have reconciled with and chased off many of my demons and continue to pursue a life of joy and grace. If these ramblings help even one person, then I have succeeded!
I also am thinking of my dad, who my son never really had a chance to know. So this is also for my grandkids. Well, potentially… future grandkids… so they might know me through this medium at least.
According to Webster’s Dictionary:
Fetters:
noun
1: chains or shackles for the feet
2: something that confines : RESTRAINT
verb
THIS describes how I have felt in my life! And why I feel so….stuck. It’s in my name!
Don’t get me wrong, I am EXTREMELY proud of my name. There is a great deal of honor attached to it. Starting with my dad who was a tail gunner in WWII and a POW in Germany. My brother served during the Vietnam War in the Navy. My Grandfather was in the famous Rainbow Division in WWI and fought in the trenches of the Ardenne. The list on both sides of my family goes on to include soldiers serving their country and cause back through the Civil War and on to the American Revolution. There have been farmers, teachers and coaches. My family name has been woven into the fabric of America.
It’s just ironic to also have my name be a perfect descriptor for how I have felt in my personal and professional life. I’ve reflected on my personal “chains” and have discovered things about myself that hold me back. Fear of failure, lack of confidence and so many more self imposing restrictions. I am the one who put these “fetters” on myself. No one else. I’m not going to change my name, but I am going to use a variation of my name to continue to unlock the narrative and direction of my life and continue exploring the new possibilities that we all have in front of us. I would imagine you have struggled with your own demons and debilitating voices in some way and may have even had them join in the conversation as you read through this.
So lets break some chains and get… Unfettered!
