Fear is blocking our way to success 

About vulnerability and shame 

Let’s talk about fear. No, I don’t mean the regular fear (moments like “Are there monsters under my bed?”; “What if this profile photo isn’t good enough and I’ll be hated on Facebook?” or “What if I’ll be unable to find the road to India? I am Columbus, I’ll ruin my reputation!”). I have in mind a different kind of fear; the one we feel when we talk about our life dreams or when we have to present our work to a large public.
When we start something new, and when this something new is tightly related to our inner desires, it’s difficult to have a detached and objective attitude. So, we often feel vulnerable when we have to launch our dear projects into the wilderness. We don’t know how others will react and how we will deal with the critics. And sometimes, we do the mistake to shut up and to hide our works (articles, books, paintings, photos, YouTube videos, craft works, blogs, illustrations, software codes etc.). I say mistake, because the negation of the true self, translated in the things we do or create, can lead to unhappiness, confusions and anxieties.
But let’s disseminate this type of fear. Why for someone may be so difficult to talk about their life dreams or to expose their projects?

Vulnerability
The most secure and comfortable way to be liked is to do what others expect from you. And sometimes, we may do that, sabotaging our true self. We may give up on our dreams and desires, just to fit well in the reality that others created for us. So, when the moment arrives, and we want to express our inner nature (through the realization of our real dreams and by exposing our own projects), we feel vulnerable. With a mask that would cover our true aspirations we are more likely to be accepted by certain people and societies. But on the other hand, what would you choose? To live a suppressed but accepted life, or to have your own way of expression, while living surrounded by people that understand you?
Shame
Without experience, or without being Lady Gaga, it’s difficult to face the critics of others. When we open our heart and mind, in order to be honest about what we want to do and the projects we realized, we know that there will be disapproval and objections. It’s absolutely normal to feel the fear of not being a mocking object. But, we need to internalize the idea that it’s absolutely impossible to be liked by everyone. Each one has his/her tribe (talking in the Seth Godin’s terms) and his/her style of expression. We can’t control the reaction of everyone. So why bother? It’s really difficult to ignore the shame (even if we feel it without a clear reason), but small steps may help you to get used to the awes of the discomfort zones.
The road to authenticity can be rough. We have to deal with our own monsters and fears. We may feel vulnerability and shame. But staying true to ourselves, to our dreams and to our goals, generates constants shoots of energy and life purpose that help us to annihilate the fear of self expression and self-realization.