Fear is a Sign
Think for a moment about some of the things you’ve never done before. Maybe you’ve never gone skydiving, never started a business, or never asked for a raise at your current job.
Whatever they are, imagine going out and actually doing them for a moment.
Were you afraid of doing them before I asked this question?
I’m betting not, and that’s probably for one of two reasons: either you think they would be easy to do, but you have no interest in doing them, or else you’ve never seriously contemplated doing them at all before.
When we think about doing something new, it’s natural to be at least a little bit afraid. Sometimes that fear comes out as nervousness; other times the fear can be downright paralyzing.
And that fear is a sign.
It’s a sign that at least a small part of us actually wants to be doing whatever it is we’re contemplating doing. (It can also be a sign that we believe we may be forced to do that thing, even though it’s not something we would choose to do of our own accord.)
So if there’s something out there that you’ve given some thought to that ignites a little spark of fear in your heart, take some time to investigate further.
It could be your mind and body trying to point out something that’s worth exploring further, and maybe even doing once you’ve done a little preparation work.
I totally agree. I have learned the most when I started out fearing something. I still hate that feeling of being nervous when taking on something new. But I love the accomplishment of overcoming it.
It is a great feeling, isn’t it?
This post reminds me of the movie “Yes Man”. After watching that movie I tried to apply that concept to my life, and actually still think about it on occasion today.
Recently I have been applying this concept more frequently to aspects of my life that may seem challeneging, or that I may not want to initially do. I have found that though I may end up with some less than pleasant results, overall it has been for the better.
Is that the one with Jim Carey? Off to add it to our Netflix queue…
Glad you’ve been having success with the concept :)
I usually freeze up when I’m afraid and try to think of all the ways I could make myself not afraid…usually I just need a plan to feel better. :-)
I tend to freeze up if it’s things like skydiving (which is not going to happen unless there’s some kind of really extreme circumstances going on!)
But for other things, I tend to get lost in all of the “But what ifs…”. Lately I’ve learned to just say “so what” and give it a shot anyway.