Make Fear Your SuperPower
What’s the opposite of fear?
You might think it’s bravery but it’s actually curiosity. Whenever a fear comes up for you, and you can get curious about it rather than getting derailed by it then you, my friend, have a superpower.
Fear, Curiosity, and Success
I used to be curious about everything. I had an open and wondrous mind. I would explore and create and try new things; be open and ready to be amazed. Fertile imagination and boundless energy to create.
But as I grew up, the more I bought into the definition of “success” as a money and title concept, the less and less likely I became to explore and be curious. Fear of failure was huge! I would do only what I knew would drive more “success”. I was not willing to experiment, “look at the fool” or get it wrong. There was no time to get it wrong, had to get it right. Climb. Climb. Climb. Curiosity almost vanished. I’ve been “successful” but more often than not, it’s lacked true fulfillment.
Why it’s hard to break out of fear
De-programming this drive to reach ‘society’s definition of success’ is really really hard. It butts up against all the deep-seated fears and loss and grief you have for the paths not followed. And each time you try, your mind keeps hijacking you back into old patterns. Time and time again. Because those patterns...they are comfortable and easy. For me, the extra hard part was having the self-awareness to KNOW what I was doing and that I was in a pattern and STILL not being able to break out. That’s when I sought help. Some things you just can’t get out of on your own. Sometimes you need someone (or many someones, for me it was therapy, coaching and meditation) with a bit of perspective and distance to help pull or push you along; break your inertia.
The self-imposed inertia is so strong because redefining your fears means redefining yourself. Before you can redefine you have to step into the void of not knowing.
Not knowing what to do next.
Not knowing how it will turn out.
Might be not knowing who you really are right now.
That’s scary AF.
Do the work, engage your superpower
Doing the work to break out of a predetermined notion of what success is and defining it for yourself is audacious and ambitious and full of uncertainty. Fears of all sorts will arise.
So remember, the opposite of fear isn’t courage. It’s curiosity. As you travel your own journey to redefine your success, chase your dreams, bring your ideas to life, be willing to explore the fears as they arise. What does it mean? Where did it come from? And understand that fear is normally thinking of all the things that could go wrong and curiosity opens the door to the possibilities of all the things that could go right. When you’re open to possibilities you make your pie bigger it’s not just what you know or what you think might happen but there are multiple possibilities out there that could change your life forever.
- Stay Awesome 💕
