What's really holding you back?

Fear is a many splendored thing. It comes in a dizzying variety of forms and flavors.

When we boil what holds any difference-maker back to its essence, that obstacle is some form of fear.

For a long time, I found the many facets of fear an impediment to my progress. It is, after all, difficult to work with, around, or through a challenge if you can't precisely define what it is.

A lifetime of dancing with all sorts of fear in various endeavors has given me some perspective on naming a fear I'm experiencing at any given moment more precisely.

Although there are dozens of words we use to describe fear. I've distilled them into three categories.

1. Anxiety - fear of future results you can't control
2. Regret - unhealthy attachment to narratives about the past we can't change
3. Overwhelm - angst over the uncertainty about the present

So, what's the value of these naming conventions?

My childhood love of Ursula Le Guin's A Wizard of Earthsea taught me the power of naming things. Naming helps you see, accept, and identify what truly is and helps you see, step into, and stay in your power to negotiate and navigate it.

When fear comes to visit, naming it is the challenging and necessary step for finding your way through.

What form is fear showing up in for you today? What's its name? What's next?

Scott Perry, Chief Difference-Maker at Creative on Purpose. 

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