Feeling Fear

Feeling Fear

I have an advantage. Although I have never considered myself an influencer in personal finance nor medicine, I have had the privilege of rubbing elbows with many of them. Being a long time blogger, public speaker, and now podcaster, I have an excuse to talk to some fairly impressive people. Want to know what I have learned from them? Mostly, that they are no different than the rest of us. They have goals and aspirations. They can innumerate all their own successes and failures. And surprisingly, when change comes they often have trepidation. They are feeling fear just like you and me.

The difference may just be what they do with that fear.

Change

Change brings fear. It is natural. The human psyche does not like to be thrown off balance. We like consistency and habit. It feels safe to know what to expect. These are great qualities that produce feelings of well being and satisfaction.

In the short term.

But most of us strive towards something more. We are not content to be swallowed up by passivity. There is an internal push to change the world or at least ourselves. This requires action. Unfamiliar, uncertain action. Will we succeed? Make a fool of ourselves? Fail?

Feeling fear in these situations is natural. No matter how accomplished we are. The achievement treadmill is a real phenomenon. We are only as good as our last win. I’ve seen ultra successful people crushed by their attempts to one up their last accomplishment.

Embrace the Fear

So what is the secret sauce? What makes some thrive while others stumble? While feeling fear is natural, succumbing to it is a fatal flaw. The most successful and influential people I know do the exact opposite.

They embrace the fear and glom onto it as a sign that they are headed in the right direction. If they are not feeling fear, then they are not undergoing true evolution. They want to evolve and grow. Learn. Become more than they were before.

And this is scary.

If we let it be. If it consumes us and causes paralysis. Or, it can be deeply motivating. If you really want to accomplish something, keep pushing until you start to feel fear. Without this silent alarm, you may never push to the point of reaching maximal potential.

How This Relates to You?

If you are feeling fear today, you are not alone. If you are stuck making a life decision, are second guessing yourself, or indecisive at a decision point, it means you are growing.

Embrace change and fear. Don’t let it stop you from reaching your maximal potential. Failure almost never is a bad thing if you are able brush yourself off, and get back up.

Most of the people who inspire and influence you today have faced similar fears, and will continue to in the future.

Final Thoughts

Feeling fear during life change is scary. But it is also an important reminder that growth is occurring. It is impossible to expand without leaving a comfort zone. Everybody feels this way. Even the most successful and influential people go through this important step.

If fear is embraced instead of spurned, the possibilities are endless.