Lifestyle

How Fear Has The Ability To Make Us Put Our Best Foot Forward

by Rachel Sacks
Stocksy

Fear is one of those things in life that most of us would rather not face. It is so often associated with something we do not particularly like, such as going to the dentist, clowns or student loans.

But fear can be a good thing -- a great thing even -- especially if you are in this dreaded decade of life known as your 20s. I suggest we all find something to fear a little more often in our lives.

I’m not suggesting going to a haunted house every weekend or binge-watching scary movies (unless that’s your thing). The fear I’m talking about is trying something completely new or taking a metaphorical leap.

This is one of the few times in our lives that we try anything to find out what it is we want to do.

This is one of the reasons why it makes this time so stressful. But I thoroughly believe that doing something that makes you scared can and will be worth it in the long run.

A Brand New Phase

Moving on in different phases of our lives is hard, and often a source of fear.

I recently moved from the Midwest to California, having never been here before and knowing just one person in the area. Yes, I was excited to start a new opportunity, but mainly, I was scared.

I’m not sure exactly what I was scared of. I had a place to live; my new job sounded like a great place to work and it was a cool city.

If anything, I love exploring new places and meeting new people. Yet, I found myself asking 100 questions and wondering if this was the right decision.

This move marked a big transition from one phase of my life to another, and I suppose the resulting fear was my way of mentally acknowledging this.

I thought maybe I shouldn’t take this chance, but if I hadn’t, I would definitely be upset and angry with myself.

Taking A Leap

We aren't often presented with the chance to try something completely new or do something unexpected. It’s not just presented to us on a silver platter; often the best risks or opportunities you can take come out of the blue.

If you were given the opportunity to go work in an interesting new job in a foreign country right now, would you take it? What if you just quit your office job and went to work for that cool tech startup?

Yes, it will be scary to go to a new country, or to leave your 9-to-5 job, but think about what these new opportunities will bring instead. The fear then turns into an exciting new phase in your life.

Some things in life need a lot of planning and organization; others only need a little planning and a willingness to jump. Life is full of these occasions to take a risk -- we just need to be willing to take the leap.

Facing Consequences

So you want to take a risk and feel some fear, but what happens if this leap doesn’t work out?

Well, considering there is no such thing as job security in any job (seriously), the worst that happens is you end up looking for another job or venture. But this time you have more connections, hopefully have not burned any bridges and have a funny, brand new story to tell.

Long story short: We can’t let fear of failure keep us from something that could be truly life changing or exciting. We’ve heard before, but it’s true.

Our 20s have been built up as the most significant and terrifying times of our lives. Significant because this is when we find ourselves, learn who and what we love and what we want to do in life.

Frankly, you can’t do any of this without taking risks and having an experience you’re fearful of. You may not be afraid of the experience itself, but the idea of it. Regardless, the fear we face and overcome is bound to lead us to better and brighter things.

Photo Courtesy: Tumblr