How to Cure Fear

I want to talk about fear. How we let it choose our path for us. How we let it keep us from chasing our dreams. I want to talk about how fear can be a shackle and how we break away from it to become who we are meant to be.

This year has been a rollercoaster for me, putting the pandemic and the social issues aside (I know, what else is left in 2020?!?!? ...more aliens perhaps). I came into this year staking my claim on it. There were goals I had set aside because of fear. It’s scary to step outside what we know and invite criticism or embrace failure. It’s terrifying in fact, but I acknowledged that I had dreams that were worth chasing and what kind of example would I be to my daughters if I wasn’t fearless in the pursuit of my happiness?

So I plunged in. This endeavor to create passive income for my family by becoming an Amazon entrepreneur was met with some skepticism. People told me it was already a saturated market. People asked me what qualified me to compete with big brands. People outright laughed at me. Ouch. Talk about growing pains. Don’t get me wrong, there was plenty of support from my family and tribe of lady warriors. But I’m here to talk about the fear of failure and how those naysayers might stop you in your tracks if you let them.

Here’s the thing about humans...we aren’t exactly fans of when someone decides to break away from the herd and go against the grain. It makes us uncomfortable. Why are they doing that? What makes them think they CAN do that? As a society we have embraced the mediocre majority. We put our heads down and we plod our way through daily life just trying to survive. We don’t thrive. We certainly don’t dream! Because that’s kid stuff and adults don’t do that. Well, guess what? I do. I dream every day. My heart is filled with lofty hopes of things I’ll probably never achieve, but I’ll always be a dream weaver because it inspires me to grow. To embrace change and to lift others up, so they can achieve their greatest desires. Being a dreamer makes me kinder. It asks me to find the good in the world around me. And by god, I’d rather be that woman!

What changed for me this year and set me on this path? I took a step. And then another. And another and before I knew it I was sprinting towards a cliff. I might soar or I might crash and burn, but I’m moving and THAT is the key. Action cures fear. When I find myself paralyzed by fear I just think to myself, Move your feet. We can self-sabotage by procrastinating about taking action until everything is perfect. Guess what? That’s never going to happen. I wish the signs were that clear and the stars would align every time I needed encouragement, but that doesn’t happen. Paralysis by analysis is real and we break that cycle by taking one step. It might be the scariest darn step you’ve ever taken...well, good. Growing is uncomfortable, so embrace it! Your momentum will propel you forward if you just keep moving.

This is my call to the dreamers, to the mavericks, and to the idealists. I believe in you. Chase that dream. Speak life into your ambitions. I can’t wait to watch you soar.