Since we’re still in the early days of this year of hope, it’s amazing how quickly fear has crept in. Its voice is quiet but believable. It whispers but its impact is more like a loud scream in an empty hallway.
Fear makes bold accusations.
You can’t really do that. You’re not really that guy. You don’t have what it takes to accomplish that. That’s too risky. Your dream is too dangerous. That path is too unknown. You can’t be serious.
That voice hits at 2:30 in the morning. It hits right before a huge meeting at work. It hits when I open Evernote to start writing. It hits when I wonder if I’m equipped to be a husband. Or a dad. Or a whatever.
Fear likes to take over. And run me right off the road.
Here’s what happens to me when I allow fear to call the shots:
- I believe the lie – the lie that says I’m not enough, not equipped, not ready, it’s not my turn, I need permission, someone else will do it, it’s easier to be quiet, don’t stand up for something, don’t be vulnerable.
- I run to what’s comfortable instead of what’s important – I hit snooze, I hit the DVR, I read Twitter instead of a book, I engage with my iPhone instead of my wife and kids, I send an email instead of making a phone call.
- I exchange principles for pleasure – I run to sugar instead of my running shoes, I grab a beer instead of green juice, I stay up late which leads to not getting up early, I listen to sports talk instead of a purposeful podcast, I don’t ask the hard question, I settle for surface conversations instead of intimacy.
- I hide – it’s easier to hide, shrink back and not be heard than it is to take a stand and reclaim meaning in what’s important.
- I forget – it shows up in laziness, procrastination or simply mindlessness, but I forget to live with intention and abandon; instead I simply exist.
- I look for shortcuts – putting on overalls and going to work is hard, showing up consistently is hard, finishing the task is hard, so I start to look for the easy way and a quick fix.
These are a few of the symptoms of a current of fear. It whispers your name and wants to control you. It wants to tell you that it’s not worth it.
Give up. Quit fighting. Go away. Settle.
Courageous people don’t quit when fear pokes them in the chest. They simply do the work while they’re afraid.
Will you join me in admitting that fear sucks? And that your dream, mission, career, marriage, business, kids, friendships are worth it?
