Face Your Fears

Ahhhh, October — colorful leaves, pumpkin-flavored everything, fall festivals, and Halloween. This month is usually when we have a smattering of days that the temperature drops below 60, interspersed with those that still reach 80-90 degrees. We never really know what we're going to get when it comes to October weather in Georgia. Sometimes, we get two or three seasons during the span of 8-12 hours. So, be sure to dress in layers when you leave home, friends. 

Costume parties are another October favorite. If you plan on hosting one and would like to take a little pressure off yourself when it comes to planning the menu, check out pages 24-25 to learn about the bring-a-board appetizer trend — it's all the rage! Also, don't forget to check out our events calendar on pages 6-8 to plan your family's close-to-home autumn festivities.

What about haunted houses and scary movies, you ask? Well, I know lots of people who love them. I've never quite understood the allure of choosing to be scared on purpose by partaking in these activities. To me, fear is not fun, and life provides plenty of its own opportunities to experience this emotion. That said, I also know that fear can be very motivational.

"Courage is resistance to fear, mastery of fear, not absence of fear." -Mark Twain

Being afraid provides an opening for us to educate ourselves about and conquer that which makes us feel uneasy — so don't miss your chance to "grow through what you go through." Choose to step outside your comfort zone this month. After all, many of the things we need or desire are just on the other side of fear.