3 inspiring reasons to follow your fears and make magic
Some people think that fear is the end.
A place where you stop, back away, and turn around.
But I believe that fear is the beginning of something worth uncovering.
ONE.
You'll be daring, and your creativity will shine.
We can get lost in the unknowns of our fears.
It's like getting tangled in pitch darkness. It leaves you feeling stuck, grasping for a way out but with no idea how.
We can make fear so big that it can take up space from inspiration, joy, and even feeling alive to the point where we can only think of being afraid.
What if this isn't good enough?
What if someone doesn't like it?
And all of those thoughts can stop us from being creative.
But what these thoughts also tell you, is that just beyond them is the excitement of newness. This unknown place is also a place of experimentation and growth, like a new playground or museum to explore.
Be willing to be curious about your fears and explore them. Curiosity makes space for creativity.
TWO.
You'll feel light and as free as the wind.
Has anyone ever told you to get over your fears?
I don't even understand what that means. And I know they don't know what it means to be so fearful it stops you from doing the very things you've dreamed of doing.
Ultimately being the person you want to be, living the life you're proud of, that's full of light and love, not heaviness and hindrance.
But imagine using your fears as stepping stones, or a runway, or the wind beneath your wings (I had to use that, it's perfect.)
We choose how we think and feel about fear. And it's up to us to let fear control us or begin the journey of changing how we approach our fears to help us.
THREE.
New fears won't intimidate you.
For a long time, I would avoid my fears.
But at about every point where I knew if I'd do this one thing, take this one step, I'd grow or improve, I could feel fear pulling me back in darkness. And it was getting frustrating. And I wanted to fight back.
Then I wondered what would happen if I tried to understand my fear, moving towards it versus away or against it. What if I shed light on it, took the mystery away from it, and be comfortable with it.
Most of the time, my fears come from not knowing. Others are rooted in traumatic memories that only therapy can help me let go of. But the small fears, I know I can figure them out.
I think of these fears like solid walls, and you can't see beyond them. The more fears you have, the more you're blocked in, with fewer opportunities to break free.
But what if fear could be glass walls? What if we could stand on one side of fear and see through to the possibilities? How freeing would that be?
“Because when you follow your dreams, you'll also be following your fears. And it'll lead you to many incredible things if you choose to see it that way.”
Watch my journey of facing my fear.
(Here's a secret: You don't see it in the video, but I was nervously sweating the whole day, even after the launch!)
Quotes from the book that inspired me,
Rejection Proof by Jia Jiang
“But by not even asking, we are rejecting ourselves by default—and probably missing out on opportunity as a result.”
“When you are not afraid of rejection and it feels like you have nothing to lose, amazing things can happen”.
“What you need is not acceptance from others but acceptance from yourself. Being comfortable with who you are is a prerequisite—not the result—of seeking others’ approval”.
― Jia Jiang, Rejection Proof
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