Here’s a question. Do you aim to be fearless? To really, truly fear nothing? I don’t. I don’t wish to never be afraid, and honestly, I don’t think you should either. Here’s why: fear can actually be beneficial. Wait, what? I thought fear could be harmful you might be thinking. Well, yeah it can be. I know, I know…by now you might be thinking, what is this crazy woman trying to tell me? Stick with me here. All I’m saying is that there are pros and cons of fear, and it’s important to recognize which is which in order to get the benefits of it while avoiding certain pitfalls.
I’ll start with a list of five cons, followed by five pros, and finally why it’s important to understand that fear is considered somewhat of a necessity in life. Let’s dive right in!
First, while there may be many downsides of fear, (probably why the idea of being fearless is becoming more and more popular) here is a list of my five main cons of fear:
1) People become too afraid to do certain things due to the fear of failure or not being good enough.
2) People miss out on experiences and opportunities due to the fear of change and being uncomfortable.
3) People won’t let their true light shine due to the fear of rejection and being lonely.
4) People stay in toxic friendships/relationships due to the fear of guilt and heartache.
5) People become physically ill (i.e depression, anxiety, etc.) due to, well, fear!
Now, I’m sure it didn’t take much convincing to get you to see the negatives associated with fear. Perhaps it didn’t take any convincing on my part because you already knew all of that, right? Well, how about I go over my list of five pros of fear and see if we’re still on the same page, alright?
Here we go.
1) Fear can motivate us to start living a healthier lifestyle or to leave an abusive relationship.
2) Fear can teach us to become more or less cautious when learning from past experiences going forward.
3) Fear can help us focus better on which tasks need to be completed now or later by putting us in a ‘now or never’ mindset, otherwise known as ‘fight or flight.’
4) Fear helps us anticipate which threats will actually be harmful to our well-being.
5) Fear helps remind us that we’re human! Life is a balancing act; bad and good, fear and joy.
So, did it take any convincing that time, or no? Were you already aware that there are positive aspects of fear? If so, that’s great! Now, would you still aim to be fearless? To really, truly fear nothing? If so, that’s fine! You do you and don’t let anyone (including myself) stop you. But for those of you who answered no, here’s my next question. You realize that you don’t really aim to be fearless, but are you going to let fear control you? And no, I’m not suggesting that just because there are pros to fear that you should face every fear with a positive mindset. Life is a balancing act, remember? All I ask is that the next time you encounter something fearful, either real or perceived, think about what the fear is telling you.
Is it saying, “You’re not good enough,” or is it saying, “You’re settling for not good enough?” A lot of times it can sound really close! When we’re not taking the time to listen to ourselves, it can prevent us from reaching our full potential. In other words, if you hear, “You’re not good enough,” then perhaps it’s time to reevaluate your thoughts. If you hear, “You’re settling for not good enough,” then chances are you’re being realistic with your thoughts.
The fear of not being good enough can prevent you from accomplishing things, while the fear of settling can motivate you to do better. That right there is the point of this post. So please, all I ask of you is to pay attention to yourself. The mind and body have a way of telling us what we need to know, it’s just up to us to interpret it properly. In fact, I challenge you! Think of a fear, that after some evaluation you know can either motivate, teach, or help you to focus better. Then conquer that fear! Leave a comment below telling me what it is that you fear, what you’re going to do, and how you think you’ll feel once you’ve conquered. (:
Until next Monday, don’t forget to keep things fun and make life as simple as could be!
XoXo Branndolynne
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