Going after your dream is a tender and vulnerable time. It means acknowledging to yourself what you really want. It means letting go of what was familiar, comfortable and safe. It asks, “Is this what you really want? What are you willing to do to get it?”
Are you willing to give up being comfortable?
Are you willing to give up being safe?
Are you willing to risk failure?
Are you willing to be misunderstood?
When faced with these questions, that’s when you back down. The inner critic voices are the loudest. The fear is strong, seemingly stronger than your dream, and you want to retreat to safety again.
How do you honor your dream instead your fear?
Don’t fight it.
Fighting your fear is like fighting a part of yourself. Instead have compassion. Know that your fear, like an anxious, overprotective mother, just wants to keep you safe.
Don’t power through and ignore it.
Sit down with it. If you want, write a letter to your fear. Ask what it wants you to know. Ask what it’s afraid of. By writing it down, you can then gently answer and overcome its objections.
Don’t feed it.
After listening and having compassion, know that you have a choice: to allow fear to be the ruler of your life or to allow your vision, your dream to be your guide. If you want to pursue your dream, put fear in its proper place. It’s just one small piece of you.
What if your dream is better than being comfortable or safe?
What if you don’t fail?
What if you’re misunderstood by some but thanked by so many?
What if you feed your dream and starve your fears instead?
