Feel the fear and go for it anyway!
Earlier this year, I got invited to speak at a conference. It was related to my job and various experts in the field had been invited to speak. I was honoured but didn’t feel I had the credentials or qualifications to speak to so many experienced people and experts in the business. But, I knew it was a great opportunity, so I said yes. A few weeks before the event, however, I developed cold feet and seriously considered pulling out. But, I decided to see it as an opportunity God had placed before me, so I went for it. And guess what- it went brilliantly and I’m so glad that I did!
Very often we let fear hold us back from doing what we know we should do. I have friends that tell me they’re reluctant to sign up to a dating website, or to commit to finding ways of meeting new people for multiple reasons. Underneath all those excuses, I sense an underlying fear. Fear of things not working out after putting themselves out there, for example. Or fear of the unknown after being single for so long. For you, it may be slightly different. Maybe you think you’re now too old and no one would want you. Or you fear that no one would last the long haul because your ex left you for someone else.
Or it may be nothing to do with relationships, just a personal dream you have, but you think is unattainable. You secretly wish for it, but you don’t think you can achieve it. So, you slink back, into the comfortable arms of the familiar; your comfort zone. You see, for me, public speaking had been a dream of mine for a long time and the opportunity to speak at conferences one that I yearned for. Well, here it was, being handed to me on a plate, but I was still too scared to take it. If you’re in a similar boat, I would encourage you to go for it. You don’t have to jump in all at once. Take baby steps if you must. Sign up to that website. Say yes to that date. Make that phone call. Apply for that job. Take that course. When you do, you may be surprised at the direction your life will take.
Don’t let fear hold you back. The thing with fear is that it always makes things seem worse than they are. Ask yourself, ‘what’s the worst that could happen?’ For me, I had to consider the scenario that I fluffed my presentation and imagine the embarrassment that would bring. So, I tried to prevent that from happening by making sure I was fully prepared, notes and all.
If you’re considering heading back into the dating world again, you may be thinking, ‘what if I fall for someone and get my heart broken?’, or ‘what if I try and make a fool of myself?’ The truth is, I can’t promise you that that won’t happen. But I can assure you that even if it did, it wouldn’t be the end of you. You’ll pick yourself up, dust yourself and keep going. On the other hand, why not consider the best that could happen? You’ll never know if you don’t try.
So, feel the fear, but go for it anyway!
Do you think fear is holding you back from going for something? I would love to hear your thoughts.
