Rationally, we know we won’t die, and our world probably won’t end, but it’s hard to get to ration when we are in a primal state of fear. Fear of failure, fear of criticism, fear of rejection… can feel like our worlds will end (and to a point, they do - this is the breaking down of the ego, but that’s a story for another day). These days, there are very few genuinely life-threatening events, but our minds haven’t evolved to differentiate, fears can still absolutely feel life-threatening. We can either be ruled by them, trying to keep ourselves safe by burying our heads beneath the blanket or, we can be brave - take a courageous leap and face them, even at the risk of pain and danger (failure, criticism, rejection).įear is ancient back in the day it used to protect us, the physiological changes that occurred in the body (increased heart rate, blood flow to our vital organs) were preparing us for fight or flight - which could inevitably save our lives from threats. What is worse, lying in bed feeling scared all through the night or jumping out of bed to turn on the light and see what it is? It’s the latter right? Well, this act first requires that we show some courage to get out of bed to face whatever it is. Picture yourself in bed, a strange shadow and noise is coming from the corner of the room. So, this means to know bravery, we need to know fear. “Ready to face and endure danger or pain, showing courage.”īravery and courage are intertwined, maybe two sides of the same coin - and on the other side, lies fear. The Oxford dictionary defines ‘brave’ as: I know it’s necessary because it’s what I want to be doing with my life, and I know that it is the only way to learn and grow but still… goddamn, it can be a bitch. This is really hard to come to terms with.
The greater the vulnerability, the greater the exposure.Įvery time I post something, it is putting a piece of myself out there, a part of myself which is open to criticism, rejection and even exposes my own biases and blind-spots. And, the more intimate, real and raw the blog, the more vulnerable and exposed I feel - the greater the fear. It may even surprise you to know that every, single, time, I post a personal blog, I am nervous. But I have a confession to make - every time I do something new, I feel scared shitless. When I look at my life, it is definitely the road-less-travelled that I have opted for. Often, I have people telling me things like - “Oh, wow, you’re so brave, I couldn’t… move to a new country, start a new job, follow my heart without logic, post my writing…” Or insert anything else here. Without sounding arrogant, it’s a word people often use to describe me.
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