No denying the fear: do it anyway
When something’s an unknown, it’s only natural to be afraid. But it’s not okay to let the fear stop you.
Chris Guillebeau recently wrote an inspiring—and honest—post about fear on his website, The Art of Non-comformity. His post didn’t dismiss fear; instead, he acknowledges that he—as much as everyone else—feels it.
There’s something magical in that. I think that once you acknowledge the elephant in the room, you can get to work to tame it.
Granted, it’s easy to come up with reasons not to move forward with our goals—maybe they’re to live abroad or switch careers. But it’s important to see that the most meaningful goals are worth the scariness. You might agree with Chris when he acknowledges his biggest fear of all: the thought of missing out on something because he was too afraid.
He writes “I’m skeptical about ever losing all fear. What I think is more important is finding a way to do great things despite the fear.”
So what’s the answer? Chris suggests several ways people might push through the fear: experience, preparation, trauma, or perspective.
Know that it can get easier over time. I can say from my own experience that living abroad takes you out of your comfort zone. You’re forced into new situations—and when you weigh your fears against the necessity of eating or feeling understood or making your way across an unknown country, you’ll find that fear often loses out. Your comfort level can be pushed to the edge, and you come out with a greater threshold.
This post is definitely an inspiring read! Be sure to stick around for the reader comments at the end, too.
September 16th, 2009 at 9:17 am
Sort of on the same note, but in regards to defense. Bravery is not not being afraid. Bravery is being scared to death, but marching forward anyways.
When I went as a college student alone to Costa Rica, I remember being very scared. It was my first real trip abroad… I was alone and I only spoke broken Spanish. I went on and had the time of my life and had experiences the before hand I thought I would never have.
September 16th, 2009 at 1:40 pm
Chris’s article was very interesting. Most people don’t live their lives because they are paralyzed by their own fears or the fears insinuated by the media. Fear is usually the ego’s way of saying, “…I don’t like change, it’s scary.” Feel the fear and do it anyway. Life will pass you by if you don’t press forward because of fear.
Mark Twain said it best with these two quotes, “…Courage is resistance to fear, mastery of fear – not absence of fear.” and “I’ve lived through some terrible things in my life, some of which actually happened.”
September 17th, 2009 at 12:22 am
For myself, if I don’t feel a little fear of being out of my comfort zone, it doesn’t seem right. Even on an otherwise relaxing vacation, there’s nothing like a good dive to force one’s attention. We only grow through change, and that’s not accomplished by playing it safe.
September 17th, 2009 at 1:02 pm
One of my favorite, encouraging stories about fear is something I read a long time ago about Muhammad Ali. The story is told that every time he entered the ring, he would look at his opponent and say “Hello fear, my old friend.” I’ve said the same thing countless times in my life (including in the ring, on the road, facing the unknown) and the way I see it, fear is now my ally. If I don’t feel it, it probably isn’t worth moving forward. Great post!
May 5th, 2010 at 2:29 pm
Fear. It freezes so many of us. I love the Twain quote. And also, for those interested great read. “feel the fear and do it anyway”
stay adventurous,
Craig