Honor your fear

Fear is something to be honored.

The natural resistance we feel in connection with fear is a signal that we’ve encountered an opportunity to grow past limitations to our current mindset, abilities, or beliefs.

Because sitting with our fear is such an uncomfortable experience, our natural inclination is to push it away.

It feels so counter to who we are - like something that’s working against us - that we’ll do anything to stay disconnected from it.

But instead of looking at fear as something that’s working against us, we have the ability to shift our view of fear to that of a natural force that’s working in our favor.

We can choose to honor fear and see it as a vehicle that helps us transcend our current limitations.

Think about a time you overcame a fearful moment. If we search our past, we know from experience that on the other side of such moments are some of the most meaningful opportunities and experiences we’ve ever had.

Despite knowing this, we still struggle to face our fear head-on because doing so always forces us to confront the unknown.

In other words, even though we know from experience that there is something of value waiting for us on the other side, we don’t know exactly what it is or how long it will take us to get there.

And that lack of understanding causes us to reject fear rather than embrace it.

Try this:

Managing and transcending fear is a life-long pursuit - it’s a multi-layered progression that unfolds over time and is resistant to quick fixes.

But one way we can better understand fear is to honor it for what it is: a signal that opportunity is in front of us.

It’s part of our natural progression, and something we can learn to lean into, and not away from.

The next time you’re experiencing a fearful moment, look to your past experience for guidance and proof that there is something meaningful on the other side of fear.

If you can let go of your desire to know exactly what that is or when it will arrive, you’ll start to change your relationship with the process for the better.

Honor your fear. Don’t push it away.

Go have a great workday.