Do It Afraid

There's a lesson in growth that seems endless: fear never really goes away. 

It sits in your gut and over time you come to recognize the hunger pains of failed ambition. After every hard earned success stands the next one. A new peak to reach for... with an edge that whispers it could cut you to the quick. 

But if you truly want something, you have to be willing to do it afraid.  

For me it's my "In The Black" series that I've been avoiding. I was discussing how I've wanted to complete it for YEARS but felt paralyzed by that strange fear of inadequacy. My friend told me "That's exactly what you SHOULD be doing.  The fear is rooted in how deep you care. How badly you want it to be great."

We talked about how maybe real growth means facing the thing that scares you the most - embracing that vulnerability over and over. It's all about pursuing the ideas that set you on fire, regardless of how rejection or criticism burns.  

Because ultimately, it's not the rejections or perceived failures that will haunt us. 

It will be all that potential left unexplored.

So maybe you don't need to wait until you overcome your fears to take the first step forward. Maybe NOW is the right time.  

Maybe you just need to know there's something more important than fear.

Something greater.

Something worth fighting for. 

The things we want don't often require steadfast confidence. They usually just take trying. Sometimes over and over. 

What would happen if we tried? If we lent imagination to our hopes instead of just fears?

Maybe,  just maybe,  if you're willing to fan the flames, you could bring back a passion and fire that's dwindled to embers. 

I was admiring another friend's passion and drive. He loves what he does and you can see it.  He's on fire. He's made several transitions in the time I've known him and hasn't allowed anyone to douse it with negativity or doubt. He feeds that fire in his speaking, his way of living, and the way he keeps his word to himself (which I've found in my own life can actually be the hardest promise to keep).

That's the type of person I aspire to be.

And the more I think about it, the more I realize that overcoming fear might not be the most pivotal aspect of our story.

Maybe the part that truly matters is the willingness to pursue our goals despite being afraid.  

It isn't the fear that makes the story,  it's the determination to walk through it.  

Shaky but still standing.

Afraid but still willing to try.

Remaining resolute amidst uncertainty.

I know that for me,  I've got more passions to pursue, more of those dreams to turn into reality, more concepts that light me on fire. 

And I'd be willing to bet you do too. 

Am I scared? Absolutely. 

But, I am also filled with excitement and anticipation unlike anything I've experienced in years. A bonfire is like a beacon for someone else to see - just like my friends reminded me: fear is just another tool. 

So let's burn baby, burn!

All my love,

Shannon