How many times have you heard someone say, “I just have to bite the bullet.” Bite the bullet, do the hard, chop wood, all are expressions for facing the thing of which we are most fearful. 

What’s keeping us from doing the thing we don’t want to do? 

I’m afraid! 

They won’t like me! 

It’s too hard! 

I don’t have enough time! 

It’ll cost too much money! 

It takes too much effort! 

It’s not my problem! 

Have you ever noticed the minute you begin to press your teeth on the bullet the bullet isn’t as explosive as you originally perceived?  

This is common. Our fears and negative beliefs are mostly in our heads. Our egos often blow things out of proportion for the sole reason of keeping us from success. Then, we get to tell ourselves a myriad of excuses or beliefs that are unfounded. I’m not good enough; see, I told you I couldn’t do that thing; it really was too hard.  

Last week, I avoided telling someone the truth about how I was feeling. For days, I pondered the situation. Fretting and worrying my bullet became the size of a bomb. I didn’t want to touch the thing. I certainly didn’t want the explosion to happen in my midst. Finally, unable to live with the circumstance any longer, I made a decision. I inhaled a deep breath, picked up my phone, and placed a call. As the conversation progressed, I was surprised to learn I had the picture blown out of proportion. In fact, the entire event was my doing. 

The longer we wait to pick the bullet up the heavier and larger the bitter bullet becomes.  

What if we faced the bullet sooner? 

What if we tossed the thing aside? 

Would the task be easier? 

What if we changed the Bite the bullet into something positive, like: 

I want to taste the beautiful banana 

This is a piece of cake! 

This is easy! 

All things are possible! 

Wow, what a joy! 

I can do this!  

Wouldn’t the task we were avoiding take on a different light? 

Wouldn’t we tackle the issue sooner?  

I challenge you to toss your various bullets away and pick up a bunch of beautiful bananas. In this way, the task becomes doable, pleasurable, manageable, likable, and even enjoyable. Maybe you’ll start even singing the nursery rhyme, “I want to eat, eat, eat, apples and bananas.” I challenge you to eat your bunch of bananas sooner rather than later. In doing so, the healthier physically, psychologically, emotionally, and spiritually you’ll become. And, in choosing bananas over bullets, you’ll begin to change the way you see and change the way you live.