feaRRR is an Illusion

Sometimes it’s easy to disappear; to shy away from the challenges of being all of you because of feaRRR.  What is “feaRRR” you might ask?  Beyond the spell-check nightmare that it is causing me as I type this (and, it possibly being the way a pirate might pronounce “fear”), it’s a reminder about the fear that is induced by listening to the three R’s: risk, ridicule, and rejection. If any of those stop you, then you aren’t only doing yourself a disservice, but the world as well. Be you.

So how do we put this into action this week? If at any point you find yourself considering not doing something because there is a risk (above and beyond something crazy stupid like jumping off a cliff…or eating an olive), because you might be ridiculed (“They’re all going to laugh at you!”), or because you might be rejected (“Bob, that’s the stupidest idea you’ve ever shared in a staff meeting…and you share a lot of stupid ideas.” Or “…what if she says, ‘no?’”): take a breath and remember what Nike has taught us: Just do it.

Is this easier said than done? Sure!  But how often in life have you wondered, “What if,” because you made the choice – the choice to play it safe?  If you are like most of us – far too often!  So, make a different choice this week!  Make the choice to no longer let your “feaRRRs” control you.  Take away their power, prove them wrong, and build up the mental and emotional calluses necessary to endure adversity so that you can enjoy the little victories and bigger successes that will come!

Here is a pro-tip: Start small.  Have you been putting off a phone call to reach out to a vendor, make an appointment with a doctor, or, heck, just order a pizza?  Do it. Were you afraid to try that eye shadow, wear those pants, or try out that new, wild tie you bought with your Kohl’s cash?  Don’t second guess the impulse: Just do you.  The bottom line?  The more you do this, the easier it will become and the less those little voices in your head – those pesky “feaRRRs” – will put their two cents in.  In fact, you might be one of the lucky ones who silence them forever, because, ultimately, feaRRR is an illusion, and one we don’t have to look at, listen to, or act on.

Wouldn’t that be amazing?

Just do it.  Make a different choice.

Because, ultimately, what the world needs now is more of “you” and less of “everyone else.”

Be you.