Do you want to be scared
Anything I’ve ever done that ultimately was worthwhile… initially scared me to death. –Betty Bender
I don’t know about “scared to death” but the truth for me is… that I was scared before my first real ‘industry related speech’ and I was scared about leaving the security of a corporate entity and trying to provide for my then young family on my own. I was scared about everything I didn’t know about publishing a book …and I was scared about the cost of putting together my first book just to get it ready for the printer. Then… the printing costs were scarey…. I mean what if no one really wanted to buy a book about Poop and Initiative?
I can make a list of the most worthwhile things in my life… and trace almost all of them back to a moment of uncertainty or fear. While, ’scared to death’ sounds a bit dramatic…. it is reflective of a reality. Fear of the new and unknown is natural… overcoming it is needful. I’ve been taught that “faith is the moving cause of all action” and that “fear robs faith”. So if we let fear paralyze us, and stop us from going it will also stop us from growing. We’ll just stay stuck in the muck scared to make a move and take a risk.
But if we will face our fears… with faith, courage, determination and some degree of preperation and planning… AND THEN we act… we move, we begin to work towards our goal…we grow more and become more…and are scared less and less. As our faith, confidence and courage grow, there is less and less room for our fears and doubts.
Soon, almost before we know it …our fears have fled and we’ve done that scarey thing. We got married, quit the job or applied for a new one, write the book, called someone to apologize and begin again… we’ve chosen to Act Courageously and so we’ve become more courageous. Or as my Rebecca says to our kids…..
Act the way you want to be and soon you’ll become the way you act. ~ Rebecca Weisler
Reminds me of that line from the movie “WE Bought a Zoo” - “Sometimes all you need is 20 seconds of insane courage”
Kirk Out
February 25th, 2013 at 11:15 am
Kirk, Just prior to reading your post I was searching for a mentor to assist me in starting my own project management business. I can so relate to today’s post. You’ve given me the push I needed to get moving. What a God given moment! Thank you!
February 25th, 2013 at 11:44 am
Thanks for the reminder. Explains why I’ve been scared so much lately. I’d forgotten that it can be a good thing if you are scared because you are venturing into new territory. You don’t have to dive off the high board if you don’t know how to swim. That would be foolish risk taking. If you are scared because you are not growing, then you should be concerned scared, and better start by at least sticking your toes in the pool right now! Our society is constantly moving forward. Don’t get left behind because you are scared. Be scared you’ll get left behind if you don’t grow.
February 25th, 2013 at 12:27 pm
yeah, well this is a keeper for sure. My spouse died, I had to put my cat down, I retired from my job of 25 years, I am buying a house and moving which includes remodeling things I have never done before, I enrolled in law school, I am now working part time for an attorney, got a puppy and two kittens… scary? Sometimes you just have to jump into the abyss and see where it takes you. ella
February 26th, 2013 at 1:25 pm
Lately, I have been dealing with this also, and a friend pointed out to me that when you have fear, your body reacts the same way as when you are excited. Hence why 2 people can ride a roller coaster and one was scared to death and the other thought it was a thrill. So make a choice about it and choose to be let it be excitement or fear! I am choosing excitement!
Thanks Kirk!