January 10, 2015
Things I hate: The power of fear
Among the top things I hate is the power of fear to stop you from all the things you could / should do. Don't give in to that power.
If you've been following along, I started this year with a new series - "things I hate" in which I hope to challenge and inspire you (all at once). It was planned as a four-part series, so this is the last post of the series.
In case you missed the others, here they are:
The Power of Fear
Fear can take a highly accomplished man or woman and turn them into a worrying mess. Trust me, I know.
It's why I hate it so much. Because it turns all of us into people who are willing to postpone taking risks.
That's the power it has -
- It tells me I'll fail before I try.
- It tells me not to shame myself by trying.
- It tells me that even if I do try, I'll suck.
- It tells me that I will waste my time and money.
- It tells me others have already done it.
- It tells me no one will follow my lead.
- It tells me no one will buy what I'm selling.
- It tells me nothing is worth doing.
And it likely tells you the same thing too!
So we all hide - hide our skills, our interests, our hopes - we hide everything.
Fighting Fear
There are only two responses to fear.
The first is the one I know all too well. We give in to it. It stops us. And we're left with questions, wondering and an empty sense of mild regret (because we're not even sure we might have succeeded).
The second is the one I keep trying to learn. It's not, as you might guess, to fight it with bravery. I mean, sure, if we could just stand up to it we would, right? So saying, "just do it" doesn't help much, regardless of how it works for Nike.
No, the second way is to surround myself with supportive folks who can speak truth into my life. It's what I try to do when I'm around others who have fear managing their potential.
See, when there are a lot of folks around you telling you that you can do something, you tend to suspend your fear and disbelief and try something.
Even if you have no hope for success.
Think of all the things you tried as a kid when others around you said you could do it.....just give that a thought for a second.
We've all been there.
Yet, sometime between our childhood and now, we forgot about the power of positive-thinking, supporting friends to give us the temporary courage to try things.
So surround yourself with "folks who believe" and I think you'll see how you can suspend your fear just long enough to try something new!
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About the Author
Chris Lema has spent twenty-five years in tech leadership, product development, and coaching. He builds AI-powered tools that help experts package what they know, build authority, and create programs people pay for. He writes about AI, leadership, and motivation.
