The Opposite of Fear

I get scared. I get scared a lot.

If you're a difference-maker, I bet you get scared too.

By definition, flying higher in the difference only you can make means seeking the edges of your understanding and abilities. Trying things that might not work, embracing uncertainty, and navigating adversity every day is scary.

Mistakes will be made, and you will experience failure in your pursuit to be and do more and better.

But being scared is different than being afraid. 

We get scared when something unanticipated or unexpected happens to us. It's a healthy human reaction to the sudden or surprising.

Fear, however, is a way of being. It's a human response to something that scared us that can impede our well-being and progress.

I get scared when a car blows its horn at me because I didn't see it when I started changing lanes on the highway. But if I let that incident make me afraid to ever drive again, well, that decision is on me.

How do we prevent living in fear of what scares us? What's the opposite of fear?

I used to think courage was the antidote to fear. But now I'm not so sure.

Courage is the will to do what needs to be done. To be courageous and do the right thing, you must know who you are, what you stand for, and who you serve. But courage alone is not enough. What else do you need?

Love.

Love of others? Of course. But can you truly love others if you do not love yourself? I don't think so.

Love is a conversation we have with ourselves and others about worthiness—our inherent value.

Deciding whether or not you and the change you seek to make are worth it is a conversation about love from the inside out. Love of ourselves and others gives us the courage to face our fears—to lean into and through them and seek meaningful change for the better.

There's an old saying about growth that encourages us to do something that scares us every day. Have you done that yet today? Why not do so now with a little less fear and a bit more love?

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

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