Is FEAR a Friend or Foe?
Fear wants you to play small and not live a big life. It is not your friend because it always wants you to limit your growth. I am not talking about material wealth; I am referring to you and your dreams. But ask yourself this — what will happen to you if you do not address the fear? Will a piece of you die inside, will that inner light of excitement start to dim? Many times, I hear stories where people say they wished they did something earlier in their life but did not because of fear. It could be starting a business, buying a new home, or, quitting a job that they hated. They sat back and let that opportunity pass them by because of worry that it would not work. Several times, they didn’t even go further to do the explore to see if it was actually attainable. They just stopped in their tracks because they believed it would not work prior to starting the process. Beyond the immediate impact of missing the opportunity, you may become resentful towards others who choose to live their true path. Toxic traits start to surface, like jealousy, judgment, and hate which start to poison your wellbeing. We all have choices in how we want to show up in the world, don’t you think you should show up for yourself? Remember you have one life to live so you should go live it!
I had a friend who was extremely successful in his role on the exterior it appeared he had it all. However, this nagging inner voice made him realize that the work was not aligned with his purpose and what he envisioned for his long-term career. This meant turning his life upside down and taking the risk to start his own business. The fear was present constantly telling him to play it safe and not walk away from his career. The negative self-talk tries to take over “What will people think of me if I disappoint them?”, “Will I fail”, “am I crazy for doing this?”. Fear will always try to derail you from your authentic path, that is why you need to believe in yourself so you can be secure when addressing the fear head on. He had courage and faced the fear and took the leap. He is so happy, successful, and purposefully aligned to his authentic path. So inspiring!
Changing jobs, relationships, or a lifestyle are big choices that have an impact on yourself and potentially others. However, if you do not face the fear, you may have regret for the rest of your life. This is not easy; trust me I know. There have been many times in my life, especially now, when I am writing a book for the first time. I have had to look fear right in the face and say “NO — you will not steal pieces of my life!! — I will not allow it!!”. I will not walk away from writing this book because negative self-talk surfaces. It is better to try and have no regrets then let the fear take over. It means knowing it will be hard and usually going on the path less travelled. Having the trust in yourself and the courage to push through the other side. This act of bravery will always make you grow as a person and aligns you to your truth and authentic self.
6 Tips to Challenge Your Fears -
1. Face fear in some form every day! Start small — it is like a muscle and it grows as you build your confidence around it.
2. Push your comfort zone — when you are nervous and scared it means you are growing as an individual.
3. Challenge yourself — if you do not face this fear will it change the life you will live.
4. Support — Find people who encourage you to do your best and build out a plan so you can feel more comfortable with your choice.
5. Be authentic and honest with yourself and others about what you want.
6. Be Brave- be willing to address the fear head on.
Remember to have a plan to help navigate the big fear challenges, it will help diminish the anxiety when you can run some data against it. Some choices will work, and some will not, but you will know that you did the explore and did not shut down due to the fear. This way you can plan towards the dreams you want to attain and not get stuck in your tracks.
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