Follow your fears

If you’re the kind of person who pushes the envelop, experiments, innovates, speaks the truth, and dares to break from convention, then at some point in your life, you have experienced fear.

There’s a lot of advice that would have you think you fears don’t help you, and that you should dismiss them, push them aside, or do the thing anyway with fearful thinking in tow.

I say, “follow your fears.”

Yep, that’s right. Just like others might say “follow your passions.”

Photo by Ariana Suárez

Follow your fears.

As with any emotion, your fears are full of incredibly useful information.

Fear is a mask for desire.

If you take the time to explore your fears, you will find that there is a desire behind the fear waiting to emerge.

True desire is sacred.

Desire points us toward goodness and beauty.

Desire is a powerful force within us designed to pull us toward something.

Desire is part of our inner compass that is meant to lead us.

And because it comes from within rather than something that is prescripted for us by the outside world, it feels risky and it feels vulnerable.

For most of human history, if one of your ancestors said or did anything that didn’t conform to the norms of the group, they would either be kicked out of their tribe or killed.

There’s a reason you feel fear when desire emerges.

Anyone in your lineage who took a risk that didn’t fit within their tribe did not live to pass on their genes.

The next time you feel fear, don’t try to get rid of it.

Tune into it.

What is it pointing you toward?

Then follow that.

Love,

Audrey