Years ago I lived with a family including youngsters whose dessert during down-time was a video animation called “The Backyardigans.”

I joined the viewing one afternoon with low expectations. I remember very little of the bright shapes and headlight-eyes of the characters and their adventures but I remember very well, and occasionally reference, a brilliant line from one of their songs:

” Do it afraid. ”

I thought of it yesterday as I dropped tender baby bok choy into hand-dug holes in a garden plot newly my own. I’m a Master Gardener through Cornell Cooperative Extension but in the moment of transplantation I felt afraid to dive in to making my community garden plot into an actual garden. I didn’t have a plan. I didn’t do the soil prep I know is key to success. I’m behind on starting from seed on my own, including the chamomile I covet. I felt afraid of killing these eager brassicas and afraid of failing to put into practice the education and experience I’ve cultivated in garden know-how.

” Do it afraid. ”
And into the ground they went.

I’ve thought of this slogan during times of perilous growth – darker and more urgent times of being. The slogan is comprehensive and pushes me into acceptance of my fear, that fear is a part of the journey. Fear is also informative and can keep us safe, keep us out of doing. But sometimes we need to ” Do it afraid ” !

” Do it afraid ” in the garden, in communication, in wellness.