Who Are You Afraid To Disappoint?
Up until now, I’ve told an extremely small number of people about this…
I had one of the most difficult conversations I’ve ever had in March or April of this year.
I definitely cried during and after.
I told my parents that I wasn’t satisfied with my college education and that I was thinking about taking a gap year between my sophomore and junior year to explore, gain work experience, and learn more relevant things faster.
I won’t go into the details of why I wasn’t satisfied (that’s another post entirely). What I want to direct your attention to is the fact that we had that conversation in March or April…but it probably should have happened in November or December of 2014 because that’s when I first started thinking about this idea.
I managed to put it off for six months. I even went to complete strangers to hear what they thought before I went to my mom and dad.
It’s because I was scared.
…afraid of disappointing two of the people I look up to the most…two people who have worked two decades to support me and my education.
And, like me, I bet you’ve hidden something or avoided revealing something to someone who you feared disappointing too.
We’re human.
But it’s cowardly and silly because those people who we are afraid to disappoint are usually the ones who love us the most…and they rarely react the way we expect them to. A lot of times they’re incredibly accepting and comforting. And if they’re not, it might be because they don’t fully understand the situation. Trust me, they still want what’s best for you.
So now I want to ask you: who are you afraid to disappoint? and what is that fear preventing you from attempting or achieving?
Here’s a video I wish someone would have showed me back in November or December:
(3min — the last 55 seconds is the most relevant)
He’s right. Talk to them.
Challenge your fear.
Otherwise, you’ll never let go of that thing you regret…you’ll never try that thing you’re dreaming of.
This post initially appeared on The Awesome Initiative
