Fear is something I’ve come to closely understand over the past 5 years.
In college, deciding to change paths from what I always intended to do in my career. Going completely against the current and deciding not to go to uni – much to almost everyone in my life’s dismay.
Starting a business from scratch and building said business from the ground up by myself. Learning everything and anything I could about business with no background in it. Networking and attending blogger and industry events on my own (as a previously shy introvert) to build a professional network with no foot in the door. All the while facing new challenges and hurdles at every turn, leaving me with a pit in my stomach wondering, “what the hell have I got myself into?!”
Yeah at this point me and fear are close pals.
I recognise her when she crops up – usually when I’m getting out of my comfort zone and facing a fun new challenge. She stalls me, she’s full of “what ifs”, she’s negative AF and she’s basically a party pooper. Nevertheless, she’s never left my side. And she won’t.
See, the thing with fear is, it’s as much a part of life as any other emotion. It’s no use claiming yourself as ‘fearless’ and thinking you’ll never have to be afraid again. That’s BS. Fear will always be a part of your journey. Fear of failure. Fear of rejection. Fear of judgement. Fear of success in some cases!
I’ve started to recognise that big things are happening when fear comes along for the ride. Change is coming. Growth is coming.
You’re leaving your comfort zone, and fear just wants to protect you. Because personal growth is uncomfortable. It’s risky. It’s hard. Staying comfortable is easy, and proven to be safe. Fear is a natural reaction to uneasiness – but that doesn’t mean you should give in to it.
One way I’ve learnt to work alongside my fear is getting in touch with my gut instinct. AKA – the emotion worth paying attention to. A gut feeling says,
“Wow this is gonna be really hard…but I KNOW this is right for me.”
“Even though I’m crapping my pants right now, I’m kinda excited to see what happens.”
“This is really fun, so let’s just try it out and figure our way around it as we go.”
My gut instinct tells me to take that leap of faith, despite the fear – she doesn’t manipulate my decisions with doubt and anxiety, or forcefully hold me back.
If you struggle with these feelings of fear when it comes to personal development and growth, I highly recommend the book Big Magic by Elizabeth Gilbert. A lot of what I’ve come to understand about fear, particularly as a creative person, is beautifully put into words in her writing. It’s a must read for anyone and everyone!
I hope you resonated with today’s post – perhaps take a moment to think about your relationship with fear, and where your fear has held you back in the past. I truly believe once we understand where the fear comes from (and what it’s protecting us from) we can work through it, accept it as a natural part of life and move forward despite its presence.
If you’d like to discover how we can work 1-on-1 together to create these kind of mindset shifts in your life, click here.
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Love, Kat x
