We are all afraid of something. Rather it is something small or large. It’s something that lives inside of us, some being justified. While others evolve into something irrational. Fear is a tool we developed to keep us safe but over time the line between rational and irrational fears has blurred. Where talking to strangers and coming face to face with a hungry bear evokes the same response. Fear makes sense when you’re face to face with danger. As our society has evolved, we don’t come face to face with danger as often. As a result, our fears often manifest in ways that hold us back from moving forward. Instead of being afraid of coming face to face with danger, we’ve become afraid of uncertainty and things that are unfamiliar. Fear isn’t all bad, it can be used as a tool to push us forward when we embrace it.
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Embracing fear
A life of complete predictability doesn’t allow us to grow as people. We’d stay stuck in one place never moving forward. If we aren’t afraid we aren’t learning. To grow and move forward in life, we have to embrace fear. When it shows up in our life, it’s better to lean into it instead of pushing it away. Sure you could stay at that job you hate because it’s familiar, or you lean into fear. Embrace the fear that’s keeping you there and face it. Leading you towards leaving that for something that you’ll enjoy.
Back in 2020 fear is what was keeping me stuck in Kansas City. It was familiar I had a job and a place to live, but I wasn’t happy. I had to face the fear and uncertainty surrounding me, and overcome it to move forward in life. Sure I could stay in Kansas City, but if I did my life wouldn’t grow and reach the goals I had set for myself.
When I embraced the fear I had, I was able to use it to motivate me. It pushed me forward because I didn’t want to live my life in a box of my own fears. I wanted to go forward in life, and create my dream life. By staying in Kansas City, I wouldn’t have been able to do that. By releasing the fear around moving, I was able to move forward in life and let go of something that was no longer serving me.
Be Happy you Tried
Sometimes when we embrace fear and overcome it. Things don’t always go as we hoped. Be happy that you tried, and learn from the experience. When things don’t go your way, it’s an opportunity to venture in a new direction. When you change the way you look at failure, you prevent fear from holding you back. Failure isn’t a bad thing. Moving towards fear takes courage and it’s scary not knowing if things are going to work out or not. Sometimes we succeed and other times we fail. Whether we succeed or fail, we end up someplace new. We can learn from the experience and move forward in a new direction. Be proud of yourself for trying and be happy whether you succeed or fail. A door has opened because you’ve chosen to move towards the thing that scared you.
Overcoming fear and Growth
When we look back at what has shaped us and caused us to grow. It’s oftentimes in our lives that were terrifying and filled us with fear. We don’t look back at the times we spent staying in our comfort zone. We remember the times we took a chance, or failed and got back up again. When we embrace our fears and walk through them, it’s hard to not emerge as a stronger person. Fear can either hold us back or motivate us to move forward in our lives. If we let it, fear can hold us prisoner and hold us back from reaching our highest potential. If we use it as a way to motivate us and face it, we find ourselves capable of reaching new levels.
There’s magic in the unknown, nothing in life is for certain. By constantly running from fear, you’re constantly running from the blessing overcoming fear has to offer. Though it’s scary facing the unknown, on the other side of fear lives a version of you that is well-equipped to deal with the highs and lows of life. Sit down with fear and make friends with it, and get to know it. You can use it to motivate you forward in life. To learn more about fear and using it as a tool to motivate check out My friend fear, you can grab a copy of it here.
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