Feel the Fear…Just Don’t Let it Sit in the Driver’s Seat!

You know that feeling you get when you do something for the first time…something you’ve been afraid to do but deep down really wanted to try…and you finally do it?  And you don’t die?

There’s this exhilaration, this feeling of incredible accomplishment and then there’s the “I can’t believe it took me this long…”

It’s like being set free.

Maybe you try a new class or stand up to someone that’s been overstepping your boundaries or you finally go after that job or ask out that guy (or girl).  You find the courage to do something that’s just outside your comfort zone and it feels so good.

But then something funny happens. You get this rush of aliveness but then what?

Suddenly you find yourself with a new baseline of how you want to feel.  You can’t go back.  You’ve matured, expanded…grown.  The stakes are a little higher…the bar has inched up and now you’re freaking out because what was ok yesterday maybe isn’t ok today and your chest constricts and you feel this pressure to BE somebody different.

Take a breath.  It’s going to be ok, I promise.

You just leveled up.

You just took a story you’ve been telling yourself about who you are and told it to “F” off!  Good for you!

It’s ok to be a little nervous.  It’s ok to get your barings.  It’s ok to take a moment to let this transition set in and figure out what this is going to mean for you and how you go on to live your life now.

Sometimes when we decide we want to change something, go after something or let go of something…things get a little messy.

Between our desire for things to be different and our fear of things being different (which is a totally normal response from our brain just trying to protect us from what it doesn’t know to be safe, yet) things can get a little wonky.  We let our fears and uncertainty cloud the clarity that we had when we decided we wanted a change and then we get confused as to who we should listen to…our brain telling us to stop trying to change because it has no evidence to support doing something new and different is safe…or our heart who just wants to be free and follow our dreams!

Here’s the thing…fear will always be there.  I’m sure you’ve heard the saying that being brave isn’t about being someone who isn’t afraid but being brave is about feeling the fear and doing it anyway.

Yep.

Here’s the rule.  Fear is not the enemy.  In fact, we can even let our fear ride shotgun.

Just don’t let fear drive the bus.  Period.

Did you know that what some people interpret as fear, anxiety and nerves other people call excitement, anticipation and the body getting ready to do something great!

Perspective.

So, yeah.  Maybe you would like to do something new, overcome a story you’ve been telling that’s been holding you back.  Don’t be afraid to feel the fear.  Feel it as a friend that is just trying to protect you from what is unknown.  Feel it as a way for your body to prime you for something exciting.  Feel it as a wisdom keeping you on your toes if something should go wrong.

But, don’t let fear drive the bus.

What brave and courageous step could you take today to get your fear out of the driver’s seat and start a new story about who you are and what you want your life looks like?