Today I shared a new post titled 5 Truths To Help You Do “It” Even If You Are Afraid on The Lead Change Group Blog. While many of you are familiar with our expat story I have never shared the level of fear I felt when we were asked to make this move.
I wrote the story several weeks ago deeply believing that we all battle fear. And knowing that as long as we are webbed in place we can’t contribute our greatest gifts to each other, to our workplaces, to our communities, or to our world.
Since writing it I have run into more hurdles getting this article published than any other post I’ve ever written. Which makes me even more convinced that needs to be shared.
If you or someone you know is in the midst of a battle with fear I encourage you to read that article and to savor the quotes below. (Some of the quotes in this post are linked to previous articles about fear.)
1. Fear defeats more people than any other one thing in the world. Ralph Waldo Emerson
2. The oldest and strongest emotion of mankind is fear, and the oldest and strongest kind of fear is fear of the unknown. H. P. Lovecraft
3. Facing your fears robs them of their power. Mark Burnet
4. Fear is the main source of superstition, and one of the main sources of cruelty. To conquer fear is the beginning of wisdom. Bertrand Russell
5. Fears are educated into us, and can, if we wish, be educated out. Karl Augustus Menninger
6. Curiosity will conquer fear even more than bravery will. James Stephens
7. Fear Not! Jesus Christ
PLEASE SHARE! Have you ever been webbed by fear? How did it impact you? How did you defeat it?
Image credit: iStock
Fear is ever present, anyone who says they are not fearful, is not being truthful.
What we do with fear…makes the difference of who we are.
Fear is not me.
Fear is not my life.
Fear is not my leadership.
Fear is not my heart.
Fear is not my passion.
Fear is not my love.
I will lead forward – in spite of fear- because I am all me, life, leader, heart, passion and love.
Thanks for the great post. I feel totally inspired.
Lolly Daskal
Lead From Within- Lead with Heart not fear!
Happy weekend Lolly! Thank you for the emphasis that everyone one of us fights fear. It is so important for each of us to be reminded that we are not alone!
I too choose to: LEAD FORWARD – IN SPITE OF FEAR!!!
You totally made my day when I read your comments! THANK YOU!
Great post!! Thinking about the things in my life I haven’t done out of fear. Also recalling a fear that I met head-on that led to 25 years on the organ bench at BSLC. Wish I had conquered my fears more often.
Thank you Lee! Great example! I think we can all find thing in our past we wish we had done differently. (I know I can!) I think that’s why the learning I received from this butterfly was so profound… http://consultgiana.com/looking-back-7-times-you-should-and-7-times-you-should-not/
I’ve been transferred to three different cities during my career, and each time I was alone. There was no one else to lean on or help get tasks done. I felt no only lonely, but very vulnerable. I didn’t know a single person in each new assignment and would start the process of making friends (and finding a good dry cleaner) all over again.
Fear of the unknown co-mingled with excitement of the challenge…ultimately, it was my choice to choose the attitude that would best serve me…and I chose excitement at the new life before me. It’s not easy, and the attitude was formed with intention.
Fear is a choice.
LaRae,
I love that your example is about moving to a new city! For all of the situations you faced in the FBI it is good to be reminded that fear comes in many shapes and sizes! …You are right we can choose to turn fear into excitement, into an adventure, into learning’s or allow it to become something that cripples us!
Hi, Cheryl – thanks for the great little collection of quotes:)
Fear is certainly an ongoing element of most people’s lives. The increasing sense of things not being stable or predictable that seems to haunt our 21st century lives feeds that fear. As several quotes remind us, fear of the unknown is probably the strongest type of fear. When we know what we are dealing with, the fear may not go away, but its power is reduced and we are better able to act.
For me, the critical issue has always been taking that first impulsive step toward action. I have spent hours on a moderately warm, but not hot summer afternoon trying to move my body into the water that I know will be icy, but only for a flash. Action can be hard.
Note the “I know” part of that statement – just knowing is not always the answer. Sometimes I know exactly what I am dealing with and am still scared quite to death … knowing actually makes things worse sometimes.
I’m also old enough to reflect that past experience is valuable and can inform one’s current behavior, but sometimes even when you’ve been through it all before, you still feel that heavy lump of fear in your gut.
Not sure where I’m going with all this, but I appreciate the stimulation of your list to my thinking this rainy fall afternoon:)
John
Oops – added an extra letter to your name, Chery – I can only blame habit and inattention, since I know your name quite well.
John
No worries John! My I was named after my aunt and she had an “l” in her name! 🙂
John – LOL! You nailed it! Is it better to know or not to know?!!! The reality is that knowing too much and knowing too little can web us in place! I love your analogy about action being hard! Thank you for sharing your thoughts!