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The F Word (“Fear”)

 … is one of the most power words today. For you. For me. For all of us. Not only does it keeps us from being our best but it haunts us so much that we don’t go after the things that we really want. Or we hide away awaiting the results of something we don’t think we’ve achieved. And the word is …. FEAR!

I’ve encountered thousands of people that battle with fear. They have great ideas but don’t make them happen. They fear being criticized, they fear the idea not working and they fear it’s going to be harder than expected. And they fear it’s not going to work out in the end.

Fear is an incredibly strong emotion–no doubt about it. But fear is also what holds us back. We don’t pursue our goals, personally or professionally. It’s what STOPS YOU from going with an idea at work. STOPS ME from writing a controversial blog post. And stops both of us from taking a risk with someone you like. Because we don’t want to get rejected.

On the other hand, the greatest people are those that can overcome the fear. CEOs that don’t fear losing a job. Athletes that don’t fear getting hammered by the media for missing a shot. And investors that aren’t afraid to lose money on a brilliant new idea.

Easier said than done? Of course it is. After all, I hate rejection as much as anyone. And it’s incredibly easy to not take a chance, or to hide away, because of it. Especially when the stakes are high.

On the other hand, fear of failure can also be overrated. Because less people will care than you think. Millions of smart people have failed before. And sometimes, your idea might just work out in the end.

It’s time both you and me took this advice more often.

“The greatest risk in life is not taking one.”  -Old Commercial from AIG

** Here is an except from Tribes, where Seth Godin coined this phrase the F word