Feeling fear is at times a useful sensation. It’s emotional role is to warn you of threats, which is a good thing. That’s a great filter to use when you notice yourself afraid: what threat have I identified and what consequence am I being warned about?
Fear preys on your imagination, which has a tendency to run wild, distort reality, and invent things that don’t exist. In a state of fear it becomes difficult to tell the difference between real things you’re observing and invented things you’re imagining. The deeper and more intense the fear, the more difficult it is to tell the difference.
You’ve experienced many moments of fear that consumed you, only for them to quickly fade during and after the activity you were afraid of. As the anxiety in your imagination gave way to your actual experience, you realized the fear was worse than the reality.
When you feel the kind of fear that wants you to change your behavior — pushing you into fight, flight, or freeze — make sure it’s a strategic decision reinforced by reality and not your imagination creating false threats.
Discipline is the shortcut. Do the work.
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