SHOP MY LIVING ROOM: blanket | glasses | book club | laptop | couch
I’m intimately familiar with fear. I live with PTSD and it becomes a parasite to everything. Fear is part of the process.
Fear is a completely normal and natural feeling to have. It’s an animalistic quality we all have for survival. However, there’s a point where it’s no longer helpful and keeps us from living the life we want to live.
The more we try to pretend like it doesn’t exist or doesn’t affect us, the more it will grab hold. It’s important to face the fear head on by acknowledging it instead of avoiding it. You can do this by meditating or taking your bucket list and next to each point, writing down why you haven’t done it yet.
It’s a bold move to face these things head on. The courage this takes will change your life. Deciding to face the fear and do it anyway is how you will get through to the next step. For now, let’s take a closer look at the ways that fear could be running you life.
1. You keep imagining what your life would be like if you just did that thing.
Starting a business. Asking that certain someone out. Writing a book. I often run into many who have a laundry list of things they would “love to do one day”. However, 90% of those things can be started today.
There is a mindset that whatever it is, you’re not good enough for. It’s faulty and it’s preventing you from living your best life.
There’s always going to be someone who’s better than you, who’s more qualified, who’s more likable, talented, skilled. The list can go on forever. But that doesn’t mean that you aren’t worthy of great things, too.
The only constant in life is change. Big plans like what’s on your list will of course change your life and it may become even more wonderful than you imagine. Go live it.
The more we try to pretend like fear doesn't exist or doesn't affect us, the more it will grab hold. Click To Tweet2. You don’t do anything without “running it by” everyone first.
It’s called “testing the waters”. You’re putting out feelers so you don’t have to go through the heartache of failing at something you’re truly attached to and passionate about. If you’re going to fail and everyone is going to think you’re stupid anyway, you might as well find out early, right? Wrong.
If you’re holding out on living your best life because you’re waiting for universal popularity, then you’ll probably find yourself at the end of life severely disappointed. Your life isn’t a practice. This isn’t the run-through before opening night. You’re already on stage.
Your audience might change throughout your life and that’s okay. Let people who don’t want to participate go. Those who disapprove will always find something. Block out the noise and just go for it.
3. You back out of something the second things don’t go as planned.
You took the first step towards your dreams. Low and behold, a roadblock! But this one seems to be a roadblock of epic proportions. That’s it. It’s confirmed. You shouldn’t be doing this. You suck. You should stop while you’re ahead.
Life is full of roadblocks. If you’re not failing most of the time, then you’re not trying most of the time. Fearing failure instead of viewing it as the opportunity is will keep you from your goals every time.
Failing hurts. It’s designed to be painful. However, accepting that failing is part of the process will help keep you going and take you to places you never imagined.
Fear manifests in many different ways. More often than not, there are multiple fear sources at play. These things that our fear settles on were probably developed early in our childhood. Ultimately, it boils down to this: All the horrible things you believe about yourself that’s keeping you from the good was probably put there by somebody else. Stay true to yourself and be courageous.
