I don't know about you, dear reader, but I am very consistently scared.
Beyond my actual phobias (heights, blood, and needles, FYI), I'm primarily afraid of failure.
Trying new things can be really scary because you're opening the door to failure and all of the negative emotions that come with it: embarrassment, shame, disappointment, and heartbreak all come to mind.
Two things are really important here.
1. "Failure" isn't actually a negative thing.
2. Life truly begins at the edge of your comfort zone.
#1
In my quarter century here on Earth, one of the most important lessons I have learned is that failing at something can often be the best thing that can happen to you.
We have a lot of ways of talking about this idea. Maybe you've heard someone say "When God closes a door he opens a window." or something like "You can't always get what you want, but if you try sometimes, you just might find, you get what you need."
Having faith that if you do fail, it's because something better is coming can be one of the best ways to plow ahead towards your goal or your dream, no matter how much it scares you. I can point to countless incidents in my own life that illustrate this idea. If I hadn't "failed" the first time I ran for office, I never would have found the job I love so much now. If I hadn't "failed" at being married, I wouldn't have found the wonderful man I'm currently in a relationship with.
Failure is always going to hurt, but it doesn't have to be a negative.
You can learn from it, grow from it, and achieve more and better things because of it.
#2
Speaking of growth, to really live you've got to grow, no matter how uncomfortable it is. Your comfort zone might keep you safe, but if you stay inside of it your life will stagnate. At best, you'll be a very boring person...probably one with a boring life. You'll go to work, go home, see the same people, do the same things, and you might not ever understand the underlying feeling that something isn't quite right.
When something scares you, it's a good indicator that you should try it at least once so that you have the chance to see who you might become.
When you're afraid, it means that something is big enough and important enough that it deserves your very best effort. Fear means it's time to take the leap because something matters.
If you have a dream, go all in. Try. Dare greatly, and grow.
I'll leave you with one of my favorite Garfunkel and Oates songs, "Loser".
There's a little bit of strong language involved, so don't watch it around the kiddos, but it's awesome.
"You are such a loser, good for you.
It's something that a lot of people can't do.
Trying is hard, that's why people don't do it.
Losing is hard, they can't make it through it.
But not you."
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