Guest post by Jessica Sweet
Bad things have already happened to you.
Maybe they’re little, like someone telling you at 5 that you couldn’t sing.
Or maybe they’re like mountains in your life, like the loss of a loved one, overshadowing everything else you do.
But how ever you view the bad things, one thing is for sure – you’re afraid of more scary things happening to you. More things that make you feel small, unworthy and incapable.
We all let fear hold us back to a certain degree, and in some situations we’re more aware of it than others. We come up against our “fear ceiling” where we see exactly where we’re getting pushed out of our comfort zone and into a place that hits all our fear buttons.
And then that little voice starts telling us that we shouldn’t put ourselves out there or take a risk or ask for more than we “deserve”.
Fear has been sitting quietly all along. You thought he was just another passenger until he hijacks your bus and takes you for a joyride.
Fear laughs hysterically at the wheel while you cower in the back trying not to be thrown from the vehicle through a skidding turn. . .
Because being more, being bigger, being bolder invites bad things back into our lives.
But show me the stone where it’s written that being bold invites punishment.
Actually, fear has brainwashed us into believing that the second we step outside our comfort zone we’ll get nailed with a ball right in the head.
If you’re too happy, something bad will happen.
If you’re too bold, something bad will happen.
If you’re too big, something bad will happen.
Pride comes before the fall.
But here’s the truth: Bad things have happened to you. And sometimes, bad things will happen to you again – whether you’re staying small or living huge.
The size of your life does not impact the size of your problems. It’s the quality of your decisions that does.
Tell me this: If you lived smaller, do you think you’d have fewer bad things in your life than you do today?
Didn’t think so. So the reverse must be true too.
There’s no way around it. You’re already smart and creative and wise. You’ll prevent as many of those bad things as humanly possible and make good decisions along the way. You’re not going to do anything foolish.
But staying small and not being foolish are two entirely different things.
The question is, where is the line?
Three Questions To Ask Yourself
You can begin to sort out your line between being foolish and staying small by asking yourself these three questions:
1. Will I regret not doing this in a year? If you let this opportunity go by, will you be wishing you did it a year from now? Also, if you do this now, will you wish you hadn’t?
2. What are the chances that this move will hurt me in ways that matter? Think about your finances, your relationships, and other things that are important to you.
If the bold step you’re thinking of taking will damage one of these areas, it may be foolish.
If you can modify it so it’s not damaging (maybe saving for your around-the-world trip instead of spending your life’s savings or taking Oprah hostage) you can probably go for it.
3. What does your heart say? Really listen. If you can listen to your heart (gut, intuition, higher power or whatever you choose to call it) you can get past what the fear is saying and get to your true answer.
You don’t have to live with the fear that being bold will rain down more bad things in your life. It simply is not true.
It’s time to live bold and see where your life takes you.
Jessica Sweet is a career change coach for people who are no longer willing to settle for “boring” at work. If you’re having trouble embracing your next adventure or figuring out how to pull it off, go to Wishing Well Coach. You can also check out all her flashy credentials that you really don’t care about reading here.
Reminder: Check out my course, “Take Your Fear and Shove It: A Step By Step Guide to Be Bold, Play Big and Shine Bright.” You can get it today at a big discount here.
