Face Your Fears — There Is No Better Time Than Now
Don’t let the fear of failure stop you from maximising your potential
I was scrolling through my Twitter feed the other day and saw a post that got me thinking. It read:
“Isn’t it crazy how something could go wrong in our body at any given moment, and poof; we’re gone. No warning — nothing”
This can appear very morbid or even depressing to some, even trigger fear or anxiety. However, I like to think back to it when faced with any one of life’s many problems or moments of self-doubt — seeing it as empowering, rather than deflating.
Why? I hear you ask
There probably hasn’t been a year gone past where I haven’t stopped to think ‘why is the world against me’ or ‘I sure wish I was that guy’. You know, that feel-sorry for yourself moment triggered by little more than a drop of coffee staining your top where you let yourself wallow over what is quite literally spilt milk. Life often gets the better of us, it fills with stress and worries — about what the future holds, has us fixated on only the negatives; how fragile our reality can be.
Moments like these should be revered. Zoom out and ask yourself; why am i really here? Many of us would like to frame our answers to such existential questions around some sort of higher purpose, but as we have no way of ever conclusively answering the questions too complex for even the likes of Plato or Aristotle — simplify matters for yourself. Don’t blame the world or wish you were someone else — appreciate life for what it is; random chaos and a blank canvas for you to paint your future. Allow the fragility of our reality to show you that there is no better moment than now.
Don’t let fear stop you
Fear is a perfectly natural human response triggered by danger lurking over the horizon. At its simplest — it encourage us to take a step back and rethink our course of action, to avoid any nasty surprises. However, unpacked it is far greater and wicked. It has the ability to weigh you down, hold you back — even force you to stop altogether, when in truth your fears are little more than constructs of your imagination. It’s a game of hypotheticals, which ultimately result in failure to take-off, to chase dreams and succeed.
The most wicked part of fear is it’s ability to deceive you, let you believe the worse-case scenario and wash away all that remained of your motivation. The same way a gambler only sees riches when going all-in — the fearful only assume failure. Dreams of success turn into nightmares.
“When you assume you make an ass and out you and me.” (Oscar Wilde)
Allowing yourself to be overcome by your fears means you’re clouded by indecision, stopping you from acting. You never give yourself the opportunity to find out what you’re really made of , what makes you tick and if that plan would have ever worked out. The fearful often try to avoid mistakes, they see them as a staple of failure and further damaging their already fragile existence, failing to appreciate them for the invaluable lessons they are.
Lessons, not mistakes
The critical difference between lessons and mistakes is perception. In truth, both are simply experiences — the difference being in how you frame and react to them.
“There are no mistakes in life, only lessons. There is no such thing as a negative experience, only opportunities to grow, learn and advance along the road of self-mastery. From struggle comes strength. Even pain can be a wonderful teacher.” (Robin Sharma)
Many fear mistakes — see them as further exposing them to the harsh world — ultimately going their whole life avoiding them at any cost. Letting themselves be anchored into their comfort zone, ultimately falling under the false pretence that they are brittle, not good enough and should hide away.
‘avoiding danger is no safer in the long run than outright exposure. The fearful are caught as often as the bold’. (Helen Keller)
In a reality so apparently fragile, it is easy to crumble under your worries and consciously begin to avoid danger. The courageous, in truth, are no more in danger than those that spend their life running. They are only stripped of valuable opportunities of the mistakes provide to learn and grow.
Don’t fear the brittle nature of life, embrace it; let it serve as a reminder that the best time is now and should you fail, you are presented with the invaluable gift of a lesson. Come back stronger. Remember, there is no better time than now. We are all gifted with time, and the knowledge that it is limited shouldn’t confine you to your comfort zone, settling for less than you’re worth. Instead it should empower us to face our fears, because ultimately they are the only things that hold us back.
