We sometimes confuse fear with not wanting to do something. It is easier to say you “don’t want to” than to realize you do but fear won’t let you. The latter can make you feel disappointed in yourself, which never feels good.
But when you name it as “fear”, it really helps you see it from a new perspective and this can empower you to make a different choice. If you “don’t want to,” you are excused from the activity- there is no point in trying.
If you want to but are afraid, you know what you are working with. You can ask yourself what you are afraid of and decide if it is worth giving up on.
How do you do something when fear tries to stop you?
Name it out loud. Commit. Take action toward that goal.
On Facebook, I saw someone who wrote as their status: “Today, I will______ without fear.” (hoping their followers would fill in the blank.).
But sometimes, I think, we can feel fear and do things anyway. It may be too much of a stretch to do things without fear.
If we waited to do something until we had no fear, we may never do it.
I changed it.
I am not willing to put my life on hold for fear. Are you?
Today, I Will ______Without Letting Fear Stop Me.
Do you hear the total power of that statement!
Now, let’s see what we can do….
Today, I will listen to my kids without letting fear stop me.
Today, I will call him without letting fear stop me.
Today, I will speak up without letting fear stop me.
Today, I will exercise without letting fear stop me.
Today, I will know what I am worth without letting fear stop me.
Today, I will do my best, without letting perfectionist expectations stop me.
Today, I will serve my fellow humans, without letting doubt stop me.
Today, I will get out of bed, without letting anxiety steal my life from me.
Today, I will refuse my obsessive thoughts, without letting them trick me into thinking something bad will happen.
Today, I will believe in myself without letting fear stop me!
Today, I will let go of guilt…
Today, I will have fun and be silly…
Today, I will give myself a break, go gentle with my judgments…
Today I will ask for help…(and allow someone to help me)
Today I will get the job done…
Today I will walk the walk…
Today, I will express love…
Today, I will be generous…
Today I will sing, dance, play…
Without letting fear stop me.
What will you do today? Please make some commitments right now and add them in the comments!
“We gain strength, and courage, and confidence by each experience in which we really stop to look fear in the face… we must do that which we think we cannot.” Eleanor Roosevelt
“I will ride that Bike Today” I’m trying to get back to that fearless five year old boy I once was. My mother reminded me that I didn’t want and wouldn’t except training wheels on my Bike. So I literally wouldn’t sleep until I could ride that bike on two wheels…tons of falls and cuts & bruises..that fearless determination has popped up in my life, but today I’m striving to make it stick…
Just do it!
Hi Jodi,
That was surely an inspirational post 🙂
Yes, we all have our own share of fears, and sometimes we aren’t able to find the courage s. We sometimes keep waiting for others to help us or miracles to happen, and hope the fears will vanish on their own, but they don’t really.
The only thing that works is when you face your fears boldly – that’s the time you overcome them in the real sense, isn’t it?
Thanks for sharing. Have a nice week ahead 🙂
Exactly! When you face them, you change them, and then, you are right, they are gone! xo You have a great week, too!
This is a great post Jodi, full of inspiration and wisdom. Fear can block us from doing and achieving great things. But fear isn’t a good friend for our life.
Today I will love myself without leeting fear stop me. Today I will say how I feel without letting dear stop me. Today I will LOVE without letting fear stop me.
I like this statement Jodi. It’s a great tool for improvment.
May God bless you for such insight and love shared.
Marie recently posted..Are we supposed to be happy?
Love yourself, ay how you feel, LOVE. This sounds so much better than letting fear be in charge! xoxo
One word: B E A U T I F U L.
You are beautiful!
Get out of bed & face my husband w/o letting fear stop me.
You go! Pretend he is not as scary, maybe this will help!
I forgot to add – one of your best posts. I know because it was scary for me.
I’m glad you know that fear sometimes is an invitation to something more! Push through it, like I know you can!
I am always inspired when I come to this website.
Thanks so much Sandra! I am honored that you are here!
Jodi–great post. One of my favorite quotes mirrors this message:
“Do one thing everyday that scares you.”
Eleanor Roosevelt
Keep writing!
Doreen
Thanks so much, Doreen! What a great way to do something, just one little step each day! I love E.R. She is awesome. I love the forward she wrote on The Diary of Ann Frank. It is so beautiful and endeared me to her forever! Thanks so much for reading! <3
Such a powerful post, Jodi! It really made me think about the things that I tell myself “I don’t want to do that.” I wonder how much is fear.
And I love the mantras that you list.
Today I will write and share without letting fear stop me.
Tina Fariss Barbour recently posted..A snowy day in spring
Yes, I love your writing and the service you do with it!
Hi Jodi,
What a unique way to inspire everyone! I think you have mentioned all the fears that prove to be our stumbling blocks! Isn’t it strange that we keep waiting…to be shaken out of our slumber…keep thinking and denying that it is not fear that is holding us back!
I love the way you have convinced us that all those tasks that we keep postponing, telling ourselves ‘that we don’t like it’ or ‘there is always another chance’ are actually those fears that we keep brushing under the carpet!
Thanks for a powerful shout!
Balroop Singh recently posted..How Influencers throw their Nets!
When we don’t name the fear,it is harder to get over it! We have so many excuses, but these can seem like truths and keep us stuck. Thank so much for understanding! I’m glad someone heard me!
Today I will allow myself to ask the universe for all the things I want, without letting fear stop me and cause me to worry that I can’t handle it all.
Thank you, Jodi, I loved this post and the way you changed up the phrase. I think I wrote once before in response to one of your posts that I decided I’m not going to try to eliminate fear — that’s too hard! So I acknowledge it. Even out loud, to people! 😛
Laura Zera recently posted..Mental Health: Finding the Help to Thrive
Yay! We all have fear, but we must keep going. Know what you deserve and ask for it! Then, be OK with whatever comes! xoxo
Hi Jodi,
This is indeed a beautiful post!
My commitment : Today I commit to BE more. I tend to hold back …and have been doing that lately. This is a great reminder for me to simply BE who I always intended to be.
Love the new look of your website Jodi!
Much Love,
Z~
Zeenat {PositiveProvocations.com} recently posted..My 3 Positive Tips to Being In Constant Serenity
Isnt’ it weird when we hold ourselves back? Sometimes we don’t even know why, and once we do, we let go in a big way and it feels great!
Today I will give myself permission to feel my feelings without fear. And today, I express my gratitude for YOU, Jodi!
You did so beautifully! xoxo
Fear and confidence are synonymous, I suppose, in some instances. On top of that, there are habits folk develop in which they develop a sorta comfort, whether it’s good for them or not. We’re a strange group, the human species, with the highest form of intelligence but yet and still…You’ve got me thinking, Ms. J.
totsymae1011 recently posted..Sincerely, Beatrice: The Trailer
We are indeed strange. We resist change and sometimes for no good reason. Not entirely so smart!
This is so powerful, Jodi! I know I don’t like to admit when I’m afraid because it goes back to feeling like a coward. When we’re kids we get the ‘what’s the matter, are you scared…???” I had 3 brothers so pretty much any or all of them had asked me that at one time or another. I’ve then associated fear with shame. But fear is also a good feeling to keep us safe. Owning my fear which I did this week after visiting here, made me think about it and accept it then I could make the phone call I was dreading. 🙂 Thanks, Jodi!
lisa thomson-The Great Escape… recently posted..Should You Take Your Name Back?
Fear and shame are so interconnected! It is my life’s mission to expose this! Here I gooooooooo!
Very inspiring, Jodi. I always know I can count on you. This post brings to mind the most famous quote on fear that I know. When FDR said, “Only thing we have to fear is fear itself.” So true.
monicastangledweb recently posted..It’s a Bird, it’s a Plane…It’s a Conspiracy!
That is one of the the truest statements ever. I hope people really see what that means! xo
Hi Jodi
Fear keeps us from so many things and it is true we say we don’t like something or don’t want to do something and it is actually that we are fearful. Much of what we imagine and we feel foolish for being that way. If we get brave and conquer some fears we are silently proud to have done so but still it comes up over and over again.
If we weren’t so afraid we would probably have a lot more interesting life. We think we are the only ones who have such fear, but everyone else is managing their own fears that they have very little time to notice ours. Shall have to remember this when I am frozen in place by fear.
Mary
Love your comment, Mary, awesome! You expressed it so well! Our fears come up and up, and mostly judgment and shame keeps us from going forward on them!
Today I will start to check universities that offer online courses in psychology and social work, and I won’t let fear stop me.
Cool beans!
Face your fear by doing what you commit to do for your good. Never listen to the voice of fear.
Act, act and your fear wil go. Never listen to the voice of fear : it always lies.
Jodi, the day you wrote this was the day that I had to face the end of a very important relationship. While it was a very important relationship to me, it was also a relationship that caused much pain and fear and made me question myself in a very big way. This relationship actually made me question if I knew myself at all and if I might, indeed, be broken beyond repair. Now, when I just read this blog, after attending the retreat this weekend, and starting to believe again that healing is possible for me, my response is “Today and every day after today, I will be myself without fear”.