Do it anyway

The first time I gave a speech in front of an audience, I imagined the worst. What if I forget my talking points? What if I slip off the stage and fall? What if the electricity goes out? Of course, none of those things happened. The minute I started speaking, all fear disappeared. 

The mind is a terrible script writer. It conjures up dramatic events and fills your head with scenes that are unlikely to play out. You start to imagine things before they even happen. Sometimes, you just have to tell your mind to shush.

I share my story to remind you that there is always fear in doing something for the first time. It’s why we take forever to get started. It’s not because you don’t have a great idea or the desire to be successful. It’s because you’re afraid of judgment.

You’re afraid of rejection. 

And failure. 

Yet.

Yet...what we know from just about every success story is that failure should be embraced...that failure is not the end of a thing. It’s merely an opportunity to begin anew, and do better next time.

Ever notice how elite quarterbacks seem to have a short-term memory, especially when it comes to mistakes? They’ll throw an interception in one play, then file away the mistake and follow up with a big completion or a touchdown pass in the next play. Unless you’re Eli Manning, at which point, it’s likely going to be 3 interceptions in a row.

But, back to this idea of fear.

Fear doesn’t have to be an inhibitor; it can be a motivator. One of my favorite descriptions of fear comes from Jimmy Iovine, who has an estimated net worth of roughly $1 billion.

“Fear is a powerful thing,’ Says Iovine. “It’s got a lot of firepower. If you can figure out a way to wrestle that fear, to push you from behind, rather than stand in front of you, that’s very powerful.”

Heed the advice of Dr. Susan Jeffers: Feel the fear and do it anyway.

Do it afraid.