A Teen Leadership and Mentoring Blog
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My Granddaddy once told me that everything good that I want lies just on the other side of FEAR!
As a young boy, I didn’t quite understand what he was talking about. I was certain that I wasn’t afraid of anything. And anybody who was afraid of things was just weird. I was 7 years old and ready to take on the world… What could there possibly be to be afraid of…
During my teen years I still thought I was invincible and afraid of nothing! However, some strange phenomenon slowly crept into my life during these years. All throughout my teen years I felt a little bit like I was up on stage and people were watching me. Due to this new awareness, I tried a little harder not to look stupid or foolish in front of my friends or classmates. But even with that little carefulness that entered my life, I was still certain that this new thing wasn’t fear, but just caution. After all I was a teenager, I wasn’t afraid of anything, and still could take on the world… And win!
Since my teens years it seems that I have grown more and more cautious and that I have more and more to lose with each passing year if I make a mistake. Now if I look stupid in front of people, rude comments may actually trickle all the way down to my kids being teased by other kids… Now if I make a bad financial decision there may be grave consequences for my family… One just has to take a look at the news to see people losing their homes all over this country.
Where has all of this FEAR come from in my life? Was it just dropped on me one day, or did it slowly build without me noticing it? What about what Granddaddy said about everything good I want just lying on the other side of fear?
Well, what my Granddaddy told me when I was 7 still rings just as true today! It doesn’t matter what age you are, or what season your life is in; everything good that you want lies just on the other side of FEAR…
If you’re going to be successful in this world then you’re going to have to take a few risks. You may even have to risk looking foolish in front of people! With this said though, I’m not telling you to go out there and be reckless. But what I am telling you is to use your brain and take some well calculated
risks that could have big payoffs if you succeed and small consequences that you can handle if it goes bad.
And in regards to others talking about you behind your back, don’t worry about them. These naysayers aren’t paying your bills or doing anything positive for you to make your life better, so just disregard them.
Finally, remember, FEAR wasn’t real to you when you were 7 and it still isn’t real to you no matter what your age is today. All FEAR (F.E.A.R.) is is False Evidence Appearing Real. If you look back at your life, you’re going to see that most of the things that you worried over didn’t really come true. Most of our FEAR is just in our heads and not real.
So get out there and take a few calculated risks, and remember that everything good that you want lies just on the other side of fear.
Now, please share what you will do once you get to the other side of fear.
Thanks for your time,
Daniel Blanchard
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