Don't let Fear Win

The second Tuesday of October is National Face Your Fears Day. Today is a reminder to not let fear hold you back from moving forward.

It is normal to be afraid of the various dangers in the world, but don’t let this hold you back from venturing out into that world. Being afraid of being attacked by a wild animal will hopefully encourage you to practice caution on a nature walk, but not so much to keep you locked indoors away from nature’s beauty. Being afraid of falling victim to a mugging will encourage you to keep aware of your surroundings, but hopefully not so much that you deprive yourself of any social gathering.

In our professional lives, we make choices throughout the years that may or may not be heavily influenced by our fears. Do I choose to pursue a career in this industry or that one? Do I apply to this company or that? Should I stay where I’m at, or explore my options? Should I continue working up the ladder, or should I branch out on my own?

Not every path is for everyone. Each path chosen must work for that individual. The individual with zero dependents may consider more risks than the one with a family at home. Available resources, location, and time all play into the equation as we each decide which path may appear riskier than another. It may be risky to go out on our own. Then again, the risk may lie in staying where we are. It differs for each one of us.

As you continue to evaluate your next steps, you should weigh all the options and consider the risks. What you should not do is pull back due to fear. Don’t let fear hold you back from trying for a new job. Don’t let fear stop you from opening your own business. Should you decide to not go down a certain path, or decide to hold off for now, that’s okay. If you decide to forge ahead, that’s fine. Just don’t let fear be the reason you pull back from pursuing that dream. Don’t let fear win.