Feel the Fear, Have Doubts & Do it Anyway

I was searching for an image that depicted someone being afraid and despite feeling the fear, they chose to "do the thing " anyway. This photo is a good representation of not only that, but of how I personally feel at times.

More often than not, when I make up my mind to do something, I really don't have a clue how to go about doing it. I'm sometimes fearful, rarely have a comprehensive plan in place, am a bit worried about being judged or how the idea will be received by others, but yet and still I do it anyway. I give myself permission to have all of those conflicting emotions - the negative ones that usually hold others back from reaching forward into the unknown. In case you didn't know, that's what we're resisting. Moving outside of what's comfortable and into territory we've never explored.

If you only take away one thing from reading this, let it be the following: If what you're doing doesn't make you uneasy, it's probably not worth doing.

Complacency is akin to comfort. Comfort is related to stagnation. Stagnation mirrors conformity. None of which are breeding grounds for prosperity, growth, responsibility, or success.

I couldn't encourage you to dream big and then make it happen unless I was actually doing it myself. Well, I guess I could but I wouldn't be taken seriously and I certainly wouldn't be leading by example.

The point I'm trying to make here is simple. We experience a range of positive and negative emotions and thoughts. It's ok. What's not ok is when we become paralyzed by the negative - anything and everything from the distracting little voices in our heads to the very people in our circle of influence who shoot down our dreams for no reason other than they too have the same reservations but don't know how to manage and overcome them.

Tell the voices to shut up and get yourself some new friends. I suggest you do this sooner rather than later. The more you procrastinate the more it costs you. Wouldn't you rather have a small group of people who build you up and support you unconditionally rather than a large network of Naysaying Nellies?

Stop settling for less than you deserve because you're guided by fear and can't see beyond the seemingly impossible. Let your fears motivate you. Embrace them and allow yourself to evolve into someone you never imagined you could be.


Photo credit: Marlene Ford