Via David Romanelli

on Feb 21, 2013

How I Overcame Fear.

As a kid, I had a terrible case of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD).

I wrote a whole chapter about it in my book.

>> When walking, if I didn’t jump up and kick my feet to my butt two times, I feared someone would die.

>> When playing tennis, if I didn’t touch my racket to the court two times, twice before my first serve, I feared my eyeballs would fall out.

>> When going to sleep at night, if I don’t actually see my wallet before I climb in bed, I fear that I will fall victim to identify theft.

Supposedly, five million Americans suffer from OCD. But judging from my Facebook post last week asking people to share their OCD ticks and habits, it must be more like 50 million Americans.

The amount of people who chimed in on Facebook with their OCD habits was mindboggling.

From turning off the lights two times, to neurotically making sure our yoga mats line up with the lines on the floor, we all seem to have weirdly obsessive tendencies.

On a sidenote, if you look at the list of celebrities with OCD, you’d think it was a prerequisite for stardom.

I believe OCD is fear getting its tentacles deep into our brains. We are all scared of something.

Fear pushes us into a defensive mode of living.

There comes a time in our lives when we have to start playing some offense, playing to win this game of life, instead of playing not to lose.

Anais Nin said, “People living deeply have no fear.”

So this is a shout out to my inner demons—and yours!

If you have been playing a little too much defense lately, then let’s get a rally going!

Let’s live with so much love that we simply overpower our fear.

Next time your OCD habits rear their ugly head…dig deeper.

If you have the wherewithal to call its name (and that’s a big if), love will come hurtling over the mountain pass, tumbling down the river, running across the desert.

As the Tao Te Ching says, “When heaven wants to protect someone, does it send an army? No, it protects her with love.”

Watch this video for some inspiration to go on offense today:

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Ed: Brianna Bemel

Incorrect source, offensive, or found a typo? Or do you want to write for Elephant?

Since 2004, David Romanelli has been traveling the world sharing his Yoga for Foodies, Yoga + Chocolate, and Yoga + Wine experiences. David has been featured in Food + Wine, The New York Times, Newsweek, and Oprah Magazine and jis debut book Yeah Dave's Guide to Livin' the Moment: Getting to Ecstasy through Wine, Chocolate, and Your Ipod Playlist (Random House) reached #1 on the Amazon.com Self-Help Bestseller List.    David was co-founder of At One Yoga, a chain of yoga studios in Arizona. Check out his website: www.yeahdave.com.