Embrace the Fear

What's the worst that could happen?

Photo by Fabian Møller on Unsplash

There’s a quote that’s often (incorrectly) attributed to Ralph Waldo Emerson: “Always do what you are afraid to do.”

To be fair, he did say it; he was just quoting someone else. (It’s a whole thing. You can Google it.)

Have you thought about what you’re afraid to do? Do you have a running list? I definitely don’t. I like to lock my fears away in a little box. If I don’t acknowledge them, they can’t hurt me. Or at least that’s the assumption I’ve been going with.

Even now, looking at Ralph Waldo Emerson’s non-quote, I’m still thinking about approaching fears in the abstract instead of facing one (or many) of mine head-on.

Any time I talk about feeling hesitant or afraid during a therapy appointment, my therapist asks me, “What’s the worst that could happen?” Then she actually makes me tell her my worst-case scenario, which is usually unrealistic or not that bad.

I’ve got a lot of changes coming my way, and I think that’s going to be my new mantra: Always do what you’re afraid to do. What’s the worst that could happen?

Photo by Marek Szturc on Unsplash

Do not fear the dark. 
Instead, awaken the sleeping wolf inside you 
and welcome the night 
like it is home.

- Nikita Gill