The Beauty of Being Scared

October 16, 2009

Fear is one of the most potent fuels there is. The trick lies in never allowing it to cripple you.

Those times in my life when I’ve had a lump in my throat and a wobble in my knees are often the same moments when I have found myself standing at the edge of something significant; an opportunity to enhance the potential of my future, shape the quality of my present or justify the record of my past.

All too often people misunderstand fear, believing it is something to be avoided rather than vanquished. This is untrue. Fear is as regular as any other human emotion. Its absence makes you deficient, not courageous.

The next time you feel the fear mounting like water rolling to a boil, swallow the lump and look terror right between his tiny eyes. Chances are, you will find yourself on the far side of where you were too scared to go.

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  • Fear can be a GOOD thing.

    Like when you're staring down a really steep ski run. And the snow conditions are dicey. And you don't know if you should go for it.

    And that little voice in your head says "Back off, don't do it. It's not worth it."

    There are times you should LISTEN to that voice.

    Having experienced several major knee surgeries, believe me, I KNOW. ;-)
  • I love this post. For me, fear is often a signal that great opportunity lies around the corner. If I can do what I need to do, the fear morphs into adrenaline rush, providing energy and focus. Getting over the initial scary hump is the hard part.
    .-= ami | 40daystochange´s last blog ..Day 8 – The power of your voice =-.
  • TOTALLY! Turning fear into adrenaline is exactly the sort of fuel I mean. And, no doubt, there was tons of such alchemy this last weekend. Thanks for the comment, Ami. It's nice to know you.
  • The great thing is the more you practice not letting fear hold you back, the easier it becomes. You start to realize that what comes after you face your fears, be it a good outcome or bad, is infinitely preferably to that feeling of paralysis and gut churning doom.
    .-= Tracy´s last blog ..Why I Shouldn’t be the Good Mood Blogger =-.
  • SO true. I don't dig on anxiety. Facing your fears, even with knocking knees, would always be preferable to me. ALWAYS. Though that doesn't mean I'm not sometimes a big giant wimp anyway. : > )
    .-= Writer Dad´s last blog ..The Beauty of Being Scared =-.
  • "Fear is as regular as any other human emotion. Its absence makes you deficient, not courageous."

    Wow, poignant, and so true!!
    .-= Miche - Serenity Hacker´s last blog ..There Is No Such Thing As Stuck =-.
  • Thanks Miche, I appreciate the compliment. And welcome!
    .-= Writer Dad´s last blog ..The Beauty of Being Scared =-.
  • "The only thing we have to fear is fear itself -nameless, unreasoning, unjustified, terror, which paralyzes needed efforts to convert retreat into advance."
    FDR First Inaugural Address March 4, 1933

    I love Randi's acronym for fear (the teacher in me always hooks onto an acronym) and all the other comments and words of wisdom on fear. Inspirational reminders early in the morning for sure. Perfect headline.
    .-= Cindy´s last blog ..21st Century Learners Choose the Write Media =-.
  • Ha, I KNEW you'd love that as soon as I read it. Love ya.
    .-= Writer Dad´s last blog ..The Beauty of Being Scared =-.
  • Fear is the first emotion to take root in our psyches...and it's a useful tool, when we know how to both honor and harness it. I believe the only thing more powerful is love.

    Shade and Sweetwater,
    K
    .-= Kyddryn´s last blog ..What Say You? =-.
  • Oh, I like that! Honoring fear... Well said.
    .-= Writer Dad´s last blog ..The Beauty of Being Scared =-.
  • Fear is such a complex thing. Someone once explained to me how fear is actually the opposite of love-not hate-that hate is an action in reaction to fear. And in all cases, how we react to fear-give in, or overcome-defines us. It made sense at the time; I'm probably not doing the discussion justice.
    .-= Clark Kent's Lunchbox´s last blog ..Don Draper's Daddy Issues =-.
  • Tree DeLeskie
    Somewhat off topic but the opposite of love is not hate. Love means you have strong emotions for someone or something. If you hate them or it, then you still are having strong emotions. The opposite of love is indifference. Moving from total emotion to no emotion. enjoy!
  • LOL, I totally get what you're saying, but if you ever want to elaborate I'd love to hear more.
    .-= Writer Dad´s last blog ..The Beauty of Being Scared =-.
  • I read something once that said "Fear stands for False Expectations Appearing Real." I've tried to live that way since then. When I have fear, I ask myself if there is any part of that situation where I have a false expectation. Just as an example, say I have a fear of flying. I may have a false expectation that I will crash. Instead, a more real expectation should be that I will arrive all in one piece, as most people do. Remembering that has gotten me through many situations that appeared scary at first.
    .-= Randi´s last blog ..How the Other Half Lives =-.
  • You're absolutely right. The small (normal) amount of fear prior to leaving this last week was a fear of false expectations. Turned out, none were true and all was swell.
    .-= Writer Dad´s last blog ..The Beauty of Being Scared =-.
  • Fear is a sign that you need to pay attention to something.
    .-= Hayden Tompkins´s last blog ..Creating a Passion Plan =-.
  • Yeah, whenever I'm scared about something, it's usually something I don't want to face. Yet looking it dead in the eye makes me stronger every time.
  • Agreed! The trick is not to retreat from fear but to face it. :)
  • Facing it makes you stronger every time! Like steroids for your confidence.
  • Aaron
    Beautifully written.
  • Thank you Aaron, I appreciate the compliment!
  • Fear has fueled more champions and heroes than we will ever know.
    .-= Lori Hoeck´s last blog ..Dealing with the bully and bullying, part two: Strong vs. Weak Body Language =-.
  • True that! SO glad I didn't let fear hold me back in Vegas!
    .-= Writer Dad´s last blog ..The Beauty of Being Scared =-.
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