Fearless choices, not fearful choices

So many people make their choices based on a fear of what might be, rather than in anticipation of the possibilities. Here's a great short article with some good nuggets of insight to help you make your choices fearlessly, not fearfully. It starts off by saying:

We often think that because we no longer see the monsters under the bed that we've somehow outgrown our fear as we got older. It's probably truer though that we've become MORE afraid, not less. Sure we've learned not to reach for that boiling pot of water, but when did we become afraid to explore the world around us?

All too often we make choices based on what we THINK is going to happen. We call it "learning from experience," and yet, by thinking about what might happen, we either create that, or end up with nothing because we just quit.

The article goes on to offer some ideas about make fearless choices.

• Recognize a fear-based decision.
• Think about what you WANT.
• It's not about the Fear; it's about getting there.
• Plan early.
• Do it differently.
• It might just work this time.
• Don't play it safe.

I particularly liked the author's perspective on "Do it Differently."

If you still need boiling water, you can't just reach for it like you did last time… and you can't ignore the water boiling either… so find some other way to get it.

That's a great analogy. It's so easy to stop with the assumption that it can't be done. Rather than assuming that the boiling water is forever out of our reach - based on either past experience or beliefs we have absorbed along the way - we can stop and ask ourselves, "OK, if it doesn't work this way, how else could it work?"

--

Curt Rosengren, Passion Catalyst (sm)

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Comments

[Jessica Hartman]

I really enjoyed reading this because I think it is easy to forget how many decisions we do make based on fear. I spent the whole last year being overwhelmed with planning a wedding, buying a house, changing careers, that I see how fear can have a huge impact on decisions.
I decided to go back to school in order to get a master's degree in education, but I have never taught in my life! I am pursuing this career because I can picture myself doing it and being happy. I would have to say this is the one decision that I have made without fear in a long time. I have no idea what lies ahead but I guess that's the fun part. I know people think I'm crazy for making such a big change blindly but screw them!