Fear is a Thief
Fear is a thief. It sneaks in when we're not looking, attacks us from the inside out, and robs us of opportunity.
18 months ago, my family took a trip to Mall of America, in part, to hang out at their indoor amusement park. It was a wonderful time. We went on a ton of rides, enjoyed too much food, and made awesome memories. The kids were oddly brave, though. Finn was game for any ride he could access, and Pax only made a few exceptions. We made a return trip there this weekend. Given how amazing the first experience was with a couple five-and-a-half-year-olds, I assumed it would be even better with 7-year-olds. Boy, I was wrong! Finn was a bit more hesitant, but Pax had zero desire to try any decent ride. Fear had taken hold of him, and it all but crippled his ability to enjoy the park. It was so frustrating! Fear robbed him of his fun weekend of rides.
About an hour before leaving for home, Pax decided to give the main rollercoaster a shot…….and he loved it! He wanted to go again and again, but time had simply run out. It was too late. He was proud that he overcame the fear, but was frustrated about the trip being over. Without even knowing it, fear snuck into him and got him all twisted up. This happens to us, too. Most of us are struck by fear most days. What we do with it, however, is what matters. If we let the fear take over, it wins. We'll cower, stop in our tracks, and/or retreat. If we refuse to let fear win, it doesn't mean the fear will necessarily go away. Instead, we persevere through the fear, doing what must be done. I once heard someone define courage like this: "Courage isn't the lack of fear, but action in the face of fear." We have two choices: let the fear win, or keep moving forward.
In a country with unprecedented freedoms where 70% of people dislike or hate their jobs, it can be a real head-scratcher. Whenever I spend time with someone who hates their job, I ask lots of questions. "What makes you stay at a job you hate?" That's my favorite. This question gets to the heart of what's really going on. There's always a reason, but is it a rational reason? Is it a fixable reason? Is it a conscious reason? You know what the #1 reason people give me is? Fear. Fear of change. Fear of failure. Fear of the unknown.
Fear will rob us of what matters most……if we let us. I can't even begin to describe the amount of fear I felt at the prospect of leaving my career and taking a 90% pay cut when I had two 3-year-olds and a wife who stayed home. It almost crippled me…..almost. It's still scary (Every. Single. Day.), but so worth it!
Don't let fear steal your calling.