Fear, Please Let the Door Hit You on the Way Out

I am finally starting my blog (after 10 years of “in my mind” writing), and a post about fear is more than appropriate. Because today, I’m beginning a journey to share my story with goals of impacting and inspiring you. Today, on my birthday, I am choosing to release the fear of broadly sharing my stories.

For me, writing is one of the most intimate acts. And therefore, represents the most raw version of myself I can share with others.

“To write, means more than putting pretty words on a page;

The act of writing is to share a part of your soul with the world”

~Unknown

Photo Credit: James Healy on Unsplash

Is a raw and uncut version of myself worth sharing? I feared sharing my stories with people because of all of the worst case scenarios - judgment, negativity, unrelatable or just plain useless. However, other people’s thoughts have never prevented me from going after my goals. Thoughts of others have never changed the course of my life. Ever.

In fact, fear has typically been a sign that I am on the right path. It means I am challenging myself. And fear is usually rooted in irrationality. Never have I shown up and shown out and been met with a negative response. Never have I backed away from a goal because others did not agree or understand my journey. So why start now?

Fear is the last feeling before a breakthrough. I got over my fear of sharing and writing my stories by realizing that I am doing this for my purpose and my journey, not for acceptance.

This journey is about touching the open hearts and the listening ears. There’s nothing scary about that. Let fear be your guide, not a barrier. Listen to it, dissect it, and figure out why you are afraid. My fear was rooted in a misplaced perception of why I am embarking on this journey. Think about that scary shape in the basement. As you inch closer, you realize that scary shape is just a coat hanging weirdly on a pole. You realize it’s nothing but a misplaced item….and sometimes you feel quite silly.

Get to KNOW YOUR FEAR, understand the root cause, so you know exactly how to kick it out the door.