One of my cousins avoided bedtime at all costs. He would kick and scream making the biggest scene whenever the word came up that if Hollywood ever came to his house, I was sure he would've received an Oscar for his performance. It wasn't that my cousin wanted to stay up, it was that he was afraid to go to sleep. And, after he fell asleep, once he woke up, he was afraid to get out of bed because he was certain that there were monsters living under his bed.

Last week I had lunch with one of my closest friends who said that she believes that 97% of all people live in fear of something. I don't remember the whole conversation but I do remember thinking about that particular sentence and how it applies to my own life. Am I afraid? If so, what am I afraid of?

Every coach across the world can be heard using the statement "limiting beliefs" at least once a day because whether we acknowledge it or not, we all have our own monsters under the bed, thoughts that keep us from being who we were meant to be. We all have our own set of FEARs -- False Experiences Appearing Real.

While I'd never seen a monster come out of my cousins bed, for him, the fear was real.....very real. Wouldn't it be neat if he could see the monster as his buddy, someone sent to protect him from harm? It takes courage to think about that which we don't like in our lives. It takes courage to acknowledge and face our fears.

I challenge and encourage you to look at your monsters and find the courage to meet with them face to face. Sometimes you need to be uncomfortable in order to grow.