Forgetting To Be Afraid...
Photo by Santiago Lacarta on Unsplash
Diving into something new can be daunting.
We don’t know ‘the ropes’ - what exactly to do, what constitutes success, whether we have what it takes, or whether we’ll even get “there”. Despite our interest and our passion, we get nervous, especially when the results are in any way public.
Our response, as a result, can be a tepid one. We dip our toes in and just test the waters, dabbling without making a full-on commitment. It seems a safe approach - give it a try, don’t risk much in the way of capital, social or otherwise.
That’s one approach but I’m not sure it’s the right one.
More often than not, the best solution is to just throw ourselves into the situation. To give it our full and best effort without regard for how we look or how we’re perceived.
Certainly, we should do our homework and learn as much as we can, but at some point, we have to execute - most likely imperfectly, most likely inelegantly. That’s ok.
These are risks we need to take, and we can only do it if we forget to be afraid. Simply focus on the work and do it. Don’t worry about anything or anyone else. Be willing to take the wrong step and risk making mistakes (which we will). To not do so is to live and operate in a shell, one that will eternally be governed by what-ifs.
When we don’t dwell on the possible outcomes, we’re able to hone in on the work to be done, and the effort needed. To be single minded in our pursuit. To simply take on the task and analyze and adjust and reorient ourselves towards the best path forward. Optics become irrelevant.
More often than not, what we’ll find is that our instincts will find a way. We’ll figure it out and get the job done. In our own way, to our own satisfaction. We then own our outcomes.
Forgetting to be afraid is challenging, because social perceptions and risk aversion seem to become more ingrained in us at specific phases of our lives. That is, until we realize that, in truth, no one cares really about us more than we do, and, for that matter, no one will remember once you’ve found your way forward.
This is, perhaps, one of the ultimate lessons in life - do what you want, do it how you want (of course, with empathy and consideration) and do it for yourself. But do it wholeheartedly.
By forgetting to be afraid, we learn to trust ourselves and do it for the right reasons.
