Fear of failure.
Fear of rejection.
Fear of looking stupid.
Fear of being let down.
Fear of standing out.

Hardly a day goes by without me feeling one or more of these fearful emotions. I imagine you have found yourself in similar situations when faced with tough situations or new choices. Is fear of the unknown holding you back?

Our relationship with fear is a complex one. Deep-seated, and primal. Often formed in early childhood experiences. Fear can drive us forward. Keeping us hungry and motivated. But it can have a dark side too. It can overwhelm us and cause us to make poor decisions or no decision at all.

Each morning while getting ready I listen to motivational speakers on YouTube. My favourite is Les Brown. One story he tells helps illustrate fear.

A soldier captured behind enemy lines, and his captors give him two options – to face the firing squad or pass through a door labelled unknown horrors. He chose the firing squad and was duly executed. After this, a secretary asked the leader of the captors what’s behind the door?

Freedom, he replied.

Les Brown went on to say.

“We need to kill our fear of unknown horrors, pass through them and be free instead of facing the sure death of the firing squad of our comfort zones.”

We all struggle with fear. It is an inescapable part of us. How you respond to fear today will shape who you become tomorrow. Remember, we climb the mountain, not in giant leaps but one small step at a time.