Fear of Not Having Fear

By guest blogger Patti Stafford

I’ve managed to overcome a lot of fear in my life, but there’s some I still hold on to. I’ve started asking myself why; what’s the reason for not stepping out of my comfort zone in some areas. Is it possible we’re afraid to completely let go of fear?

There’s an old saying: There’s nothing to fear except fear itself. On the other side of that is no fear. I think people fear not having fear because lack of fear completely removes that safety or comfort zone; the thing that keeps you safe.

Ask yourself this . . .

What’s the worst that could happen if I found a way to let go of fear?

The answer may or may not be simple, but we’re going with the simple answer. Without fear you would finish your novel, you would edit and polish your novel, you would send out queries . . . you might even get that thing published.

Another “worst” is that people will try to bring you back down or they will criticize your work. We’ve all got the wounds to show for it. I’m trying to develop an attitude of This is my life, this is what I want to do and I don’t care what people think. Yes, their comments may sting, but it’s not like they’ve physically harmed me.

What’s another thing that can happen if you let go of fear? You may actually have a good time and make new friends. Fear keeps you stuck with the same old people. As long as they can keep you down with them, they don’t have to strive for more or hold themselves accountable for their own fear and staying stuck. It’s possible you hold on to your fear because you don’t want to hurt their feelings if you grow beyond those friendships. I mean, what kind of friend leaves their friends behind? A better question is what kind of friend holds you back? Don’t let that guilt keep you from facing your fear and smacking it around a bit.

A good way to face your fear is to write it out and send it to Fear of Writing as a guest post. That way you can smack it in front of the whole world. Of course, that in itself could cause fear. What if you did this and Milli and j actually published it?

The more you step out into the unknown the more known it becomes and the easier it becomes.

In the world of network marketing one biggy that holds people back is having to prospect—call people and share their great new discovery and try to get them on board. The key phrase that seasoned marketers use is one I think can be applied to many things, even the writing world.

Some will, some won’t, so what? Next!

Do you fear not having fear? What is one baby step you could take toward the other side of fear?

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Patti Stafford describes herself as an eccentric writer and a musician’s wife. She writes at Blogging Tips, Associated Content and Sassy Women’s Health & Wellness. She sells her favorites candles at Stafford Scents. Patti blogs at pattistafford.com and tweets as @pattistafford.