The Mentality of Fear and What's on the Other Side
“I am prepared for the worst, but hope for the best.”
As I type, terrifying things are happening everywhere. I had a nice chat about this with my cousin recently, or at least a conversation that stimulated this thought.
My cousin and I both grew up in New England, him in New Hampshire and I in Massachusetts. These were safe places for each of us, where we grew up, close to our extended family, and surrounded by familiarity. Following our dreams has taken us far apart to other ends of the country. My cousin moved with his father and sister down to North Carolina, where he is currently enrolled in school chasing a dream of teaching english in Japan. Meanwhile, my wife and I have moved 2500 miles away to Park City, UT in search of an active and fulfilling lifestyle. Each of these moves has brought us happiness beyond our wildest dreams, and a newfound fire in our bellies to experience more, do more, and be the best we can be.
So the flip side of this, the whole fear thing, came to light just recently. As I write this, my cousin is out in NC hunkered down to try and weather a massive hurricane. In that same instant, just 35 miles south of me is a raging 70,000+ acre wildfire, ablaze at 0%-3% containment. Both of these things, I am sure you would agree, are absolutely terrifying. Hurricanes are massive devastating storms that leave destruction in their paths, and wildfires my as well be the same thing, but leaving ash. I am sure my cousin was aware of the risk of hurricane encounters when he moved south, as I was aware of the risk of wildfire when I moved to the high desert. But we didn't care one bit.
This, I believe, is a part of our mentality, and the way we look at the world. We aren't scared of what could happen, we are concerned with what we can make happen for us. This mentality is not shared among all humans, and is something I feel is incredibly important.
There are so many folks out there who are gripped by fear. They don't want to go up the mountain because they are afraid of the height. People don't want to go explore the world because they are afraid to board the plane. They don't want to learn to, to grow, to explore, all because of a fear that grips the back of their mind. Try not to let this be you.
Will Smith makes a great speech about fear that I will share down below. He says that on the other side of fear is bliss, the best parts of your life, and he makes a good point. Things that don't scare you are safe, they're easy to imagine and don't seem extraordinary. But when you take a leap of faith, swallow the fear, and try something new and exciting, that's when you experience something truly spectacular. That's because it's an experience you never could have imagined. The fear blocks you from visualizing these amazing things, and when you break through that wall you find true joys and life changing experiences.
I took a leap a while back to move to Utah and it changed my life. A lot of people take their own leap every day, and it changes theirs. So don't be afraid to take yours. Travel, move, try a new sport, or hobby, or activity. Hell, make a challenging dish in the kitchen. It may just be the best damn thing you've ever tasted. But beat the fear, and take the leap; you'll be glad you did.
Watch this - and let me know if you agree with it.
Does facing your fears lead to more opportunities?
Comment down below and let me know.
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