Fear is inevitable. We face fear everyday, on the job, in our personal lives, in interactions with others.
Fear is that voice in the back of our heads that tells us why something won't work, that keeps us from speaking up, that stops us from trying something new. Fear does its best to keep us where we are.
It speaks to us with condemning language and assaults, like, "Who are you to do that?" or, "You'll probably fail, so don't even try." It reminds us of past failures or how our success was just an accident.
Fear is that voice in the back of our heads that tells us why something won't work, that keeps us from speaking up, that stops us from trying something new. Fear does its best to keep us where we are.
It speaks to us with condemning language and assaults, like, "Who are you to do that?" or, "You'll probably fail, so don't even try." It reminds us of past failures or how our success was just an accident.
Sometimes, fear can even pose as a friend who wants to protect us. "Better not go there," it says. "Stay safe."
When confronting fear, the easy thing is to do nothing, which is exactly what fear wants. We avoid the confrontation, we avoid the new project, we avoid making ourselves vulnerable to criticism, we avoid failure.
The harder way to deal with fear is to recognize that we lose when fear wins. We have to remind ourselves that fear holds us back and keeps us from getting what we really want, that the only way to succeed is to power past fear into the unknown where success lives.
We also need to understand that defeating fear has its own rewards. Stepping out into the unknown is its own victory of sorts. You may not achieve exactly what you attempted, but merely "doing" it was empowering.
The funny thing about fear is that it tends to shrink the moment we take it head on. Its bark is far worse than its bite. In other words, we give it far more respect than it deserves.
So, rather than avoid the fear, we need to confront it. Emerson said, "Do the thing you fear and the death of fear is certain."
So, go ahead. Do the thing you fear. Watch the fear evaporate. You'll win, regardless of the outcome. And somewhere out there, you'll find success.
When confronting fear, the easy thing is to do nothing, which is exactly what fear wants. We avoid the confrontation, we avoid the new project, we avoid making ourselves vulnerable to criticism, we avoid failure.
The harder way to deal with fear is to recognize that we lose when fear wins. We have to remind ourselves that fear holds us back and keeps us from getting what we really want, that the only way to succeed is to power past fear into the unknown where success lives.
We also need to understand that defeating fear has its own rewards. Stepping out into the unknown is its own victory of sorts. You may not achieve exactly what you attempted, but merely "doing" it was empowering.
The funny thing about fear is that it tends to shrink the moment we take it head on. Its bark is far worse than its bite. In other words, we give it far more respect than it deserves.
So, rather than avoid the fear, we need to confront it. Emerson said, "Do the thing you fear and the death of fear is certain."
So, go ahead. Do the thing you fear. Watch the fear evaporate. You'll win, regardless of the outcome. And somewhere out there, you'll find success.
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