Personal Growth

Why You Should Be Afraid

April 23, 2020 by Jenna A 4 Comments

Growing up is scary. #Adulting 

Though, the sooner you face your fears or take risks that seem unimaginable, the sooner you will realize it’s not as scary as you made it out to be. 

This idea of risks takes me back to when I first got my license. I remember I was terrified to drive on the highway by myself. Yep, make fun of me all you want but I avoided it at all costs. I always left my house extra early before I had to go anywhere because I would take the long route, AKA the back roads, to get where I needed. 

I will never forget the day I actually decided to hop onto the highway by myself. I was driving home from a voice lesson and it was the perfect weather, you know, not too hot not too cold, and some part of me decided enough was enough.

So I did it.

For the first time ever I didn’t take the back road home. I drove onto the highway by myself. I took that leap and trusted myself.

Now, I wouldn’t be surprised if I was driving like a Grandma at the time, someone else can be the judge of that, but I did it! I accomplished something I was afraid of, and man did that feel good.

I know this type of fear is really minuscule compared to larger fears or risks like bungee jumping off a bridge or leaving a job to go after something new, but my friends, we have to start somewhere and sometimes somewhere is just a short drive down the road. 

I think it’s incredibly important to face our fears, both big and small. I would suggest starting small first, unless you are a thrill seeker, then to each their own!

The more we face challenges, fears, and risks in our lives, the more we realize how capable we truly are. You will soon discover you can go through hard things and you will be reminded with, “Well if I did that, I can do this too”!

Fear gives us the confidence we didn’t know we had. Fear instills in us the power to achieve more than we thought possible. Fear is not easy. I don’t think I would go scale a skyscraper today, but if I really wanted to I could, and it is possible to face our fears just one step at a time. 

So how about we take charge of our fear instead of our fears taking charge of us.

The more you face, the stronger and more resilient you will become!

Here is an easy challenge to begin acknowledging your fears…

Go ahead and write down a list of fears you have. Remember, they can be both big or small.

Now, take a look at your list and ask yourself, “what can I accomplish right now” ? What small step can you take to face a fear of yours and become stronger in doing so?

It might seem like some of your fears are really far off or irrational and that’s okay, just by writing them out you are becoming more aware of them and in doing so you are already in control. 

Like I said before, start small… what can you do now? 

The more risks you take and the more fears you face, the easier it will become to face any challenge that comes in your way.

As an example, I once went after a dream job that was not certain instead of taking a job that was already guaranteed. I believed so much in what I wanted and was not willing to settle for anything less. In doing so I not only got the job I dreamt of, but I was insanely proud of myself for choosing to listen to my needs and not let fear make the decision for me. 

It’s okay to be afraid, life would be pretty complacent if we had nothing to be afraid of, but what I’m trying to say is don’t let your fear get in the way of what you want!

** Side note/Spoiler**

As I typed that sentence it totally just took me back to the diner scene in The Cinderella Story where the guitar falls off the wall showing the words, “Don’t let the fear of striking out keep you from playing the game”.

So here are my final words of wisdom for you:

Don’t be scared to take risks because the only thing worse than the risk itself, is the feeling of regret for not going after what could have been.

You are capable. You are fearless. You are stronger than you believe yourself to be. You can and you will achieve anything you set your mind to!

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During this unprecedented time there is so much out of our control that it can easily become overwhelming. It feels a little like day 3,244 of quarantine with no direct answer in mind of when this will end. Raise your virtual hand if you agree🤚 But guess what… you are doing it? You are surviving (maybe you are thriving), and you are continuing to find your normal among an incredibly abnormal situation. After this is through and life returns back to a regular routine, I hope you take into account what you just walked through. I hope you realize how capable you truly are. That you made it work somehow, someway despite the madness surrounding you. You are more capable than you realize. You can walk through a difficult time and still grow, not just grow, but flourish. There is no denying the world is a confusing place to be right now, but you also need to realize what you can control. What makes you happy during this time? How will you show up for others and yourself during this time? How will this time change you into a better version of yourself by the end of this? You are more capable than you realize and the sooner you embrace this idea, the sooner you will realize how true of a statement it really is. . . . . #smilewithjenna #inspiredtosmile #youareworthy #positvethoughts #positivemindset #instagramart #personaldevelopment #starttoday #next90challenge #rachelhollis #rachelhollisxlifecoaching #lifecoach #futurelifecoach #authorsofinstagram #futureauthor #dailyquotes #findjoy #liveitup

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