Don’t be afraid to go after your dreams

“Be scared. You can’t help that. But don’t be afraid. Ain’t nothing in the woods going to hurt you unless you corner it, or it smells that you are afraid. A bear or a deer, too, has got to be scared of a coward the same as a brave man has got to be” William Faulkner

One day last year before work, I stopped in a coffee shop for 30 minutes or so to read "What I talk about when I talk about running” by Haruki Murakami. I sat in a table near the back of the store and there was a guy sitting at the very last table. He couldn’t walk. He was in a wheelchair.

I thought to myself, “what an irony… I am reading a book about running, and this person can’t even walk.” He was reading something on his phone, sitting at the table, while the wheelchair was right next to him. I sat with my back towards him, so I couldn’t see the moment he lifted himself from the table chair onto the wheelchair. There was no one else around and he passed next to my table propelling the chair by himself.

I recently remembered that experience and how blessed we are to have the possibility to run and to walk, to think, and to be connected right now to LinkedIn and read -intriguing materials. Sometimes we complain about things that bother us or simply about change, but because we are afraid of the possibility of unleashing our full potential to take us outside of the comfort zone. I don’t think anybody truly likes complaining or being afraid. Yet most of us are. When was the last time you wanted to do something, but didn’t because of fear? When was the last time you decided to simply go for those dreams you have? How often do you turn your dreams into actions? What deters you not to?

In my own life I have felt that daunting fear that keeps you from moving and attached to the comfort zone. There are two occasions that come to my mind right now.

The first one was in 2007 when I joined the Green Party in Venezuela and decided to run for mayor of the capital city (Caracas). I quit my job in January 2008 without any guarantee that I was going to fundraise any money to, at least, help me pay my bills and my food. I was a dreamer. An idealist. I didn’t have much savings or many people around me to support this endeavor. Yet, I decided to go for it. In the end, I lost the election, nonetheless I had one of the most gratifying experiences of my life.

I was afraid at the beginning, but then I felt that what I was doing had a purpose. And it truly did. My experience as candidate for mayor helped me network with amazing people. I met those who introduced me to the International Visitors Leadership Program, which brought me to the United States for the first time in 2010. And then, when I first came to the US I met those who introduced me to the Fulbright Program, with which I came again in 2011. I have an amazing job now in Washington DC. This all happened because one day I decided not to be afraid anymore and let go of what I didn’t think was for me, in order to embrace the adventure that was going to shape my entire life.

My other experience was when I created my first company, also in Venezuela. At the end of 2009 I wasn’t feeling comfortable at the job I was in at the time. Yet, I was too scared to leave it. I decided that while keeping that job I was going to begin a consulting company in focused on leadership and see what would happen. This decision kept me in a gray area of mediocrity in which I didn’t completely and passionately do one or the other.

It turned out that one person in the company I was working for found out about my start up and decided to fire me. I was scared, really scared. I didn’t have a job anymore, I had bills to pay and my company had not yet launched, let alone produced a penny. However, I had no options. I was scared, but I decided not be afraid anymore. I had to pay my bills, so I decided to drive a taxi for a few months. This helped me to learn a lot from people and also sharpened my skills to understand them. I used this new learn skills into building a successful consulting business, because it basically pushed me out of my comfort zone and make understand situations and behaviors that I would not have understood otherwise. The business operated for three years until I decided to let it go in order to pursue my next dream of traveling, living and thriving in a different country.

Below are three questions that I believe are important if you are trying to learn not to not be afraid.

1. Is your dream strong enough? If your dream is strong and powerful and you believe in it with conviction, then it is definitely worth it to give a try. Many times people confuse temporary attachment to something with a strong belief that that “something” is what really inspires them. Be careful, you need to be aware and wise enough to recognize and acknowledge the difference. If your dream makes you scare it is ok. If your dream brings the possibility to unleash your full potential, it is definitely going to push you out of your comfort zone. That is ok, accept the challenge and move forward.
2. How do you see yourself and your dream in the long run? Once you have determined that your dream is big enough and worth giving a try, how do you see yourself in the long run? If you quit your job to go after that dream, if you decide to invest all the money you have in creating your own business, how is that going to look in your future? What would it mean for you and your family? It is important to visualize the entire process of your dream, from start to finish
3. Do you have a network of support? Going after your dream also requires a group that can support your endeavor. You might want to do few things yourself, although receiving input and ideas from your network of support could make things easier and better. Do you have a network of support? How can you approach that network and ask for support?

Are you afraid to create your own start-up and you have the idea to do it? Are you afraid of proposing to your significant other? Are you afraid of being a mom or dad, yet you want it so bad? What is hindering your dreams? Don’t be afraid of going after your dreams.

“I learned that courage was not the absence of fear, but the triumph over it. The brave man is not he who does not feel afraid, but he who conquers that fear.” Nelson Mandela

About the Author: Enrique Rubio is an HR Professional at the InterAmerican Development Bank. He is an Electronic Engineer and holds a Master’s Degree in Public Administration. Enrique writes about leadership and HR, and he is also an ultrarunner.

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