Practice being fearless.

Fear is insidious.  It creeps into our heads and hearts in so many ways that we can hardly see it happening.  But this oh-so-powerful emotion (and all its insidious manifestations) can hold us back from realizing our highest potential and our personal and professional goals.

Fear rarely shows up in its raw form – the cold sweat, the instinctive urge to fight or flight.  More often, it plays out in subtle ways.  We avoid the project or the person.  We defer our dreams.  We tell ourselves we’re not ready.  We rationalize.  It’s that little whisper in our heads that convinces us that we can’t; that the risk outweighs the reward.

If we continue to live in this space, then we suffer a huge unintended consequence.  We begin to feel a sense of restlessness that turns into regret.  We begin to look at others’ lives or careers with a sense of longing and envy.  And then we begin to shut down that piece of us that knows we can be more.

Today, commit to practicing fearlessness.  Start by recognizing the various ways that fear is showing up in your life, and begin asking the question, “why not?” Examine your worst-case scenario and come up with a strategy to manage through it. Remind yourself that you can always make another choice!