Fear Factor (The Payout)
Hey family!
My life has been a series of jumping off of the ledge and into the unknown. Through the years, I’ve been pushed into spaces that offered me no comfort, no familiarity, and no hope or guarantees. I guess you could say that I’m very familiar with the feeling of being scared sh*tless.
But I’m not going to say that fear is a bad thing. I believe it’s possible to have a healthy relationship with fear, balancing the understanding of why I’m feeling scared with knowing that I don’t have to let that fear consume me.Fear can be protective, but I also acknowledge the fact that it can hold me back if I’m not careful. See, fear tells me to approach my limits with caution, and it lets me know when I’m about to reach the end of what’s known and what’s comfortable. The thing is, real growth and fulfillment lie past those limitations.
Think about that old show, Fear Factor. If you’ve never seen it, contestants had to participate in some pretty dangerous, risky, and absolutely terrifying experiences for a shot at winning prize money. The degree to which they were willing to go toe-to-toe with their fears dictated how much cash they’d leave with. In the same way, how much fear we are willing to face in our own lives directly correlates with how much freedom, success, and joy there is to experience.
Unlike Fear Factor though, the payout for facing our fears isn’t literal cash (at least not conceptually, but it most definitely can be ultimately). Instead, our payout is an unwavering belief and trust in ourselves that’s been tested by fire. A belief and trust in ourselves that’s so solid and unshakeable that moments of doubt, hesitation, and fear are nothing more than just moments. They no longer determine, dictate, or derail us from what’s ours to go and get.
I’m not unrealistic, so I’m not going to sit here and tell you not to be scared. In my humble opinion, life is going to be scary if you’re doing it right. So it’s not that things don’t scare me, I just stopped letting things scare me away from pursuing what I want.
Just remember, everything you want and everything you’re looking for is on the other side of fear. Run in the direction of the roar!
Quote of the week courtesy of Erick Godsey:
“The gold fear points us towards is self-trust. The greater the fear faced, the deeper the roots of self-trust stretch into the soil of our psyche.”
Reflection question(s): How have you conquered fear in the past, and what did you learn about yourself in the process?
