I have failed.

In September, I faced one of the toughest moments of my professional life—I was fired. It was a blow to my ego and forced me to confront some hard truths about myself. In the weeks that followed, it felt like I was grieving. The truth is I should have left over a year before getting fired.

I stayed out of fear.

The interesting part is, though it was my problem; I don't want to be fearless. Follow me; Fear is like salt. If I’m making soup, I can have the best ingredients, but without enough salt, the soup is bland; too much, and it’s ruined. Salt, like fear, has to be moderated depending on the situation. Even ice cream needs salt, but not as much as a roast.

This chapter of my life has taught me a few key lessons about fear. First, stop fearing things that already are- like avoiding knowing your exam grade.

Secondly, You can only fix what you know. I'm working on understanding my fear(s) in each situation, then determining if it is something I can tackle versus when they’re a hard stop. I've started doing a "fear analysis" out loud for each situation. Saying it out loud requires me to drill down to the root of the fear and it quiets the noise in my mind. If I allow the fear to swim around in my mind it just grows and I begin to spiral.

Lastly, Don’t be afraid to get punched in the mouth.

A boxer who fears getting hit will either run, stay on defense, or wince and brace to get hit. Sure, those are strategies, but they won’t win the fight. To win, you have to plant your feet and throw a punch! Yes, you might get hit—that’s part of the game. I can’t even count how many punches I’ve held back because I was afraid of the counter.

Everything comes down to how you respond. My response is still unfolding, but one thing I know: when I win, they’ll call it an ‘overnight success.’ My faith in God keeps me grounded, as the song says —"He may not come when I want Him, but He’s always right on time."

If you’ve been knocked down, remember: a knockdown isn’t a knockout. You can get back up and turn things around. Trust me, I know it’s easier said than done. I’ve gotten so many rejection emails that if pre-rejections were a thing, I’d probably get those too!

The night may feel long, but joy will come on the other side.

As for me, I don’t know how or when that will happen, but one thing I do know: I can take a punch."

-josh

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