Fear is the world’s biggest liar. A bloviating but weak bully.
This weekend, I bought this car without seeing it in person or driving it, kicking the tires, opening doors, inspecting it. It was nerve-wracking. I never did this before. But I knew it was a great car and a great deal and time was conspiring against me. I acted, purchased, exhaled and now have no regrets.
In life and career, fear tells you to stop. Fears says “Forget about taking chances. It’s too risky. Turn around and retreat.” Fear tells you that failure and doom is dead ahead.
I’ve been there, done that with the fear thing. I’ve debated with fear, wrestled with it, cursed it. In the past, fear would sometimes win…but not often. What I’ve found is that fear is a loser, full of bark but no bite.
Looking back, every time I found myself confronted with making a major decision, I see now that the fear was unfounded, because I was able to beat back fear with planning, prep and risk management.
I’m not saying to ignore fear. Not at all. I’m saying to confront it, not shrink from it. Fear is a liar and bully that needs to be punched in the nose and conquered if you’re to become who you were meant to be.