Feel the Fear and Do It Anyway: Five Truths About Fear

A few weeks ago, I started reading a new book called Feel the Fear and Do It Anyway by Susan Jeffers, and wow is not a big enough word to express just how much I love this book. I love when I start reading something, and it speaks directly to me at my core. This book is truly amazing, and I love the actionable easy to understand ways that she explains fear, our relationship with fear, and ways to push through fear we feel in order to live our lives in an authentic way. It fits in so nicely with my concept of how I want us all to live life authentically, and I decided to bring you some of the things that stand out to me in this awesome book.

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I cannot recommend this book highly enough, and I can’t wait to bring you more blog posts in the future inspired by the work of Susan Jeffers, Ph.D.

This blog series all about fear and ways to overcome it is going to be an recurring theme in many future posts. I’ll be talking about different topics from the book Feel the Fear and Do It Anyway that I find helpful or that I have been able to incorporate into my therapy and coaching practice. This week I’ll be starting with what Susan Jeffers calls, The 5 Truths About Fear.

The 5 Truths About Fear

What fears stand in your way?

The first truth: The fear will never go away as long as I continue to grow. I love the simplistic brilliance in this first truth. I mean, the more we level up in life as we grow, the more new challenges and potential fear we will face. It’s as if the each new level of life is matched equally by a new level of associated fear.

The second truth: The only way to get rid of the fear of doing something is to go out and do it. If we know that we will continue to face new fears as we level up in life, then it would also stand to reason that in order to reach each new level, we would have to push through the fear of doing and just do those things. It’s like an equation that keeps evolving on each side, and action is required to reach a balance.

The third truth: The only way to feel better about myself is to go out and do it. Have you ever noticed how good it feels to push yourself? Yes, it can be scary, but If you let your fears keep you from the actions you want to be taking in your life, then fear wins.

The fourth truth: Not only am I going to experience fear when ever I am in unfamiliar territory, so is everyone else. Fear is a universal feeling, but so often we convince ourselves that no one else experiences it. This can be such an isolating mentality, so I find it quite reassuring to know we are all in the same “fear-boat”. The fear of the unknown never goes away, but as we continue to push through the fears and go after what we want, it is possible to desensitize this feeling a bit. And, it does get easier to face those fears. As with most things I talk about, consistently taking action is the key to success.

The fifth truth: Pushing through fear is less frightening than living with the underlying fear that comes from a feeling of helplessness. I have seen the truth of this so many times in both my personal life and in my therapy and coaching practice. Yes, the fear of the unknown is very real, but if we let those fears keep us stuck in place, we will inevitably feel helpless. In order to overcome this helpless feeling, action is required. I have never seen someone push through their fears and then be worse off because of it. It may be uncomfortable at first, but if you can embrace the suck, you may be surprised what you can accomplish in your life!

I am learning so much about fear from the book Feel the Fear and Do It Anyway, and these 5 Truths About Fear really stood out to me, so I knew I had to share these nuggets of wisdom with you.

Please keep in mind, I’m not talking about taking dangerous or harmful actions. I’m encouraging you to stop living your life stuck or paralyzed by the fear of going after your goals and dreams.

What goals and dreams do you have for your life, your career, your family, your relationship, your future? Are you taking action towards these goals and dreams? What would it be like to break through the fears and the “what-ifs” and live the life you’re dreaming of? It starts by learning to push through fear and leaning into it, so it doesn’t get in the way!

Comfort Zone Challenge

Are you going to stay in your comfort zone or branch out and lean into your fears? You may surprise yourself if you push yourself a bit.

After my last Therapy Thoughts Workshop, I wrote a blog recap all about Self, Acceptance, Overcoming Rejection and I kicked off my Comfort Zone Challenge. This challenge is all about identifying where fear is keeping you stuck or holding you back in your life, then taking action instead of letting those fears rule your life.

The goal of the Comfort Zone Challenge is to find one thing per day you can do to push yourself outside your comfort zone. Maybe you want to start a new business, write a blog, learn a new craft, or go back to school, but your fears keep telling you all the reasons it won’t work or it’s not worth it…

If I’ve said it once, I’ve said it 7 million times that you are always one choice or decision away from a completely different outcome. Start where you are, do what you can, and focus on the progress you make along the way. What do you say? Are you willing to try something new? Maybe you don’t know where to start and that’s what is keeping you stuck.

I suggest you start by having a brainstorming session with yourself and make a list of all the things you want or have wanted to do but then talked yourself out of for one reason or another. Pick the one that you feel the most drawn to right now. Ask yourself what is one actionable step you can do to push through your fears, and do that thing. Then, keep going. Build on the successes, and learn from the failures. Failure only means you fail if you stop trying.

There is no wrong way to live your life, and you might just surprise yourself or develop in ways you never imagined! I can’t wait to hear about your successes as you push through your fears and live your life by your own rules!

Are you ready to take some risks? What do you have to lose?

Work with Me

If you are interested in setting up an appointment for therapy, life coaching, or consulting or if you would like more information about ways to push past the fear in your own life, you can call my office directly at 314-485-9189 or feel free to send me a message. My direct email address is lindsay@lindsaywalden.com and you can also follow me on Facebook and Instagram for more life and relationship tips!

Therapy Thoughts Workshops

If you are local to the St. Louis area and interested in attending my monthly Therapy Thoughts Workshops, the next one will be in two week on Wednesday, July 24, 2019 from 7:30pm-8:30pm. It will at the The Bike Stop Cafe in St. Charles. We will be discussing Sex and Relationships. No questions are off limits, and I look forward to a great discussion. The cost is $5 to get in, and this gets you $2 off any drink of your choice as well as entry into the attendance raffle drawings. I hope to see you there!

Therapy Thoughts Podcast

My Therapy Thoughts podcast is almost ready to re-launch, and I am so excited!!! It will be available in both audio and visual formats. I am looking forward to having this up and running again, and I’ll have more information as we get closer to the re-launch. Remember to make sure you are following my social media platforms and make sure you subscribe to my YouTube channel, so you will be able to watch all the episodes!