Written by Andrew Flessa of AndrewFlessa.com Sales, Growth, and Leadership
Walking towards your fears can be a growth accelerant. Getting clear on what scares you can show you where your growth lives.
Nelson Mandela once said, “Courage is not the absence of fear, but the triumph over it. The brave man is not he who does not feel afraid, but he who conquers that fear.”
We all know that feeling in our gut when we know we should do something. We know deep down its for our own good.
Imagine an attractive looking person on the other side of a crowded room. They could be an attractive business contact or they could be a potential mate. Maybe you make eye contact with them once or twice. You have a minor “oh God moment.”
You internally observe that you are interested by that person’s vibe…. Maybe you like what they are wearing, maybe you like their body language and the way they are carrying themself. Or maybe you just think they are downright sexy!
Do you succumb to fear, shrink inward and prevent yourself from walking over? Or do you recognize the fear, observe the fear, and muster your courage anyway and go over and introduce yourself.
Our lives are a series of moments just like these… one by one stitched together, where we can either act and grow or shrink into fear.
This is a very common example of where fear arises in modern life and we have that “oh jeez” moment. This can be in life or business.
We can choose to collapse inward and wonder… “what if I got that right?”
Or we can do our best, show up, have an outstanding attitude, and try our best.
Fear is a natural mechanism that is meant to keep you “safe” and keep you in the same paradigm. Put another way, fear is meant to keep you in same patterns of your life.
Everyone is following self engrained patterns of habit, whether good or bad. We are always living out a collection of habits that are either taking us closer to our dreams or pulling us away. Life is binary in the fact that we are either growing or dying, expanding or shrinking.
Fear will keep you boxed in, in the same paradigm, with the same old life.
“If you want the things in your life to change you have to be willing to change the things in your life.”
That’s a profound statement because it pertains to trying new things, stretching outside of your comfort zone, and trying a new approach… An approach that probably feels scary and uncomfortable at first, until it becomes a new habit and a new way of being.
It’s always your choice to expand outward, trust the process, and trust yourself.
Your future self will thank you if you showed up and acted virtuously. Why? Because that means you you acted out of self love and what’s best for your growth despite any fears.
“Courage is not the absence of fear, but rather the assessment that something else is more important than fear.” -FDR
What are you scared about doing in your life right now? What have you had an apprehension about doing? What’s that thing you’re scared to face head on?
Maybe you have tried several times to confront this dragon but you have failed each time.
What is the cave that you fear to enter? Define the obstacle that you need to overcome and attack it head on. The other side holds the treasure that you seek.
Confront the dragon.
Get the gold.