How do you see fear? For most of us, we look at fear as an enemy, as something to banish from our lives, as a trait that limits us from our potential. She’s so fearless, we say, with hushed, admiring voices. Fear, like stress, is unwanted and therefore something to negate and be replaced by self-belief and solid confidence.
But what if we can see fear differently?
For me, fear has two functions. The first one is to keep me safe—from risking my life to making questionable decisions. And if you’re in the middle of a dangerous situation, fear is your ally. It sharpens your senses, clears your mind and propels you either to action or staying as still as you possibly can.
Unfortunately, fear cannot differentiate between the stress of escaping from rapidly rising flood waters or a burning building and going on a first date or launching a new product. For the date and the launch, fear might paralyze you unnecessarily or make you take actions that sabotage you.
The second function of fear is to signal that what I’m about to do is important, that it can possibly change my life. Fear tells me: this is a big deal. And when it shows up, that’s my cue to stop ignoring it by powering through but actually pausing and asking questions. I ask: Fear, why are you here? What are you stopping me from achieving? How will achieving this change my life?
I remember when I first launched Volume 1 of the Sunday Night Journal. (I didn’t even know then that it would be the first of many volumes.) While I was inspired and excited by the product, I was also paralyzed by my usual scary thoughts: What if it fails? What if no one buys? What if it’s derivative and doesn’t deliver on its promise?
But when I got curious with my fear, two things emerged:
- This was one of the biggest milestones of my life. It was, after all, the fulfillment of a dream to release my own book. So, of course, it mattered.
- Bigger than the fear was this belief: I would rather fail than regret not doing this. This thought, more than powering through or replacing fear with generic affirmations, propelled me to take action and make my dream a reality. (And here I am, preparing to launch Volume 5 this year!)
This is exactly what my latest course, Journaling for Courage and Confidence, is all about. It’s not about banishing fear but getting curious about it. You will start by paying attention to your heart and understanding what matters. Then you will do fear and inner critic work so you can look at your fear differently. Finally, you will craft a courage manifesto which is a belief that’s more powerful than what you’re scared of. There will be lots of insightful questions and creative exercises to shake up your regular journaling routine.
Journaling for Courage and Confidence starts on September 18 and runs for three weeks. It’s self-paced so you can take it at your own time and follow your own rhythm. Enrollment ends on September 16.
I want to remind you that your dreams matter. You matter. My hope is that you will not allow something like fear stop you.
