Fear Is Your Greatest Enemy (And Ally)

I have so much experience with fear. Fear is something that naturally comes with being human. I don’t know a single person who isn’t afraid of something and I can guarantee that you are filled with it as well. I have missed so many amazing opportunities due to fear, sometimes I didn’t even know it was fear that was driving my decisions.

It has taken me decades to understand that fear and failure are our greatest enemies, but can also be allies. Once we learn to understand our fears we can start to overcome them. For instance, since I was a small child I always wanted to be an entrepreneur. I always wanted to do something for myself and not have to work under someone else. I started a coffee roastery with my family when I was 18 and we tried and tried to become successful, but as I’ve come to realize years later, I was always stopped from overcoming my greatest challenges due to fear.

As I write this right now, I’m absolutely filled with fear. I am afraid that I’m not good enough, or that nobody will listen to me, or even that I will fail and have to continue working for someone else. As we’ve just discussed, we know where that same fear has gotten me over the years - absolutely nowhere. I try and try again and fear has always dragged me down.

I am now working to conqueror my fears by understanding what I’m afraid of, looking it in the eye, and pushing past it. As long as I can acknowledge my fears and understand where they’re coming from, I am able to stand up to them and get things done. Don’t listen to anyone who says to just “get over” your fears or to just "ignore” them. The only way you will get past them is by understanding what you’re afraid of and acknowledging you can be better than that.

I’m here to tell you that you don’t have to be afraid of your fear. Learning and accepting that you are afraid of doing better or moving up is the first step. We can use that fear to drive you and encourage you! In fact, if we can pinpoint exactly what you’re afraid of, we can face it head-on and show that fear who’s boss! You cannot continue to let your fear keep you down. You DO deserve that promotion, you DO deserve to be happy, you DO deserve to be doing what you are interested in. And most importantly, you ARE worth investing in.

Don’t let fear keep you from being happy or realizing your dreams. Don’t learn the hard way like I have, it will cost you years and a plethora of missed opportunities.