3 Things Fear Really Tells You Every Time You Move Forward

“The cave you fear to enter holds the treasure you seek.” – Joseph Campbell

Want to be reminded of a truth? Yes, you already know it; you just forget it most of the time.

This is the truth: You are good enough.

I may even be wrong. You might be better—or just great!

Don’t believe me? Think about the successful people you admire—they’ve stood by, and still stand by, their belief that they’re good enough—they believe in themselves.

Now, you may have been planning to start something—anything—yesterday, last week, last month or even last year. How’s your progress so far?

If you still haven’t started that something, or have stopped, for some reason, know that if anybody else can do it, you can, too.

And if you do believe you’re good enough, but just feel stuck, keeping you from doing what you love, then this might be the only thing that’s hassling you: fear.

Beware, these are three things fear really tells you every time you’d like to take a step forward.

1. “I’ve always been in your family, your generation, your whole life.”

Fear has always been imposed upon you.

Adults used the fear of punishment when you were a kid just trying to be curious. The media bombards you with advertisements that imply some fear should you choose not to buy. Tell your family about going against the norm to reach success and hear the first thing they’d have to say.

Everywhere you go, fear lurks, and it chooses its victims.

In this day and age, almost everybody can look for information very easily. Victims of fear have learned a lot from the horrifying side of this information—that these victims have associated themselves with such information because they’ve simply grown accustomed to hearing about it all the time.

And this fear stops these people from starting something in the first place, when it could begin the time of their life.

You were born fearing nothing. All fears are learned—if they can be learned, they can also be unlearned.

2. “The results are only going to be tragic.”

Trouble. Failure. Misfortune. Sound familiar?

Or in other words, are you afraid that you won’t achieve success? That people will reject you? That you’ll never find a lifelong partner?

Fear will tell you that the moment you encounter some hardship, you’ll lose all hope, and can never get back up again.

It shouldn’t work that way.

Let’s go back for a while: What is that “something” you just can’t get started with? Is it a business? A job you love? Or is it someone whom you want to save a relationship with?

If there’s something you must remember about consequences, it’s identifying whether they are realistic or merely perceived. Fear is a great storyteller on the latter.

Perceived consequences form in your head if you don’t make plans and stick with them. Fear is born if you only guess what will happen without even bothering to take concrete steps.

3. “Just be average—like everybody else.”

If you entertain the above two things fear keeps on telling you, then this could be its final shot. This is when it tells you to make all the excuses you can.

Fear will tell you to be average when you want—and finally start doing something—to be great. It will remind you about your convenience when you just stayed dormant in your comfort zone.

Fear only gets louder and louder every time you move forward, and it won’t stop.

“You don’t have enough time. Just be average.”

“You can’t possibly take charge of your own life now. Just be average.”

“You’ve always looked fine being average. Just be average!”

When you want to be somebody, fear tells you to be nobody—by being average.

Think About It

There is another truth: Fear will keep telling you those things—before and long after you make a decision to face a challenging stage in your life and to get closer to your dreams.

Fear could only break you when you simply believe everything it says, and decide to stop—for good.

The next time you hear fear talk nonsense again, answer back!

“No. Everybody else believing you doesn’t mean I should, too. If things won’t go well, I’ll learn from them. And I dare you—watch me become great!”

Fear will discourage you, but know that it only stays in your head—you won’t find it anywhere else. The only way to fight it is to keep pushing forward, despite its presence.

So think about this now: If you were only fearless, what on earth can you not do?

Go then, show fear—and the world—what you got … and be great!

Ethan Bridges is a life enthusiast and blogger who loves to help others achieve anything they want in life—by first believing in the power of setting goals and reaching them, one at a time. Join the journey with him on his blog, Fine Mortal!