When you’re stepping into something new—whether it’s starting a business, having a baby, setting boundaries, or (gulp) committing to eat better—there’s one thing you can count on: you’re going to be scared.
And guess what? That’s not a bad thing. In fact, it’s a really good sign.
Fear shows us that what we’re about to do matters. It means we care deeply about the outcome, and that passion is a powerful fuel.
Think about it—has there ever been a “perfect time” to launch that business? Or to have that hard conversation? Or to finally trade in the potato chips for a salad? (Anybody else with me on that last one? 🥗😂) Of course not. Waiting for the perfect time is really just fear dressed up as procrastination.
The truth is, moving toward the things that terrify us is often the clearest sign that we’re heading in the right direction. When that deep-down part of you says I want this. I need this. I have to do this, that’s when you’re entering the courage zone. And here’s the thing about courage:
- Courage is not the absence of fear.
- Courage is moving forward while you’re scared to death.
We all have stories we can look back on where the fear felt paralyzing, but somehow, we pushed through. And once we got to the other side, we could see how it all worked out. But in the moment? All we had was courage, faith, hope, and maybe a little grit (or let’s be honest…a lot).
Brené Brown says it so beautifully in her book: the courageous ones are the people who step into the arena. Not the ones standing safely on the sidelines.
So let me ask you—what are you being called to do right now? What dream, challenge, or step forward is tugging at you?
If you feel terrified, good. It means you’re ready.
🎙 If you want to hear more, join Mindy and me on our podcast TOGET(HER)² as we dive
deeper into what it feels like to be terrified, the real-life challenges we’ve walked through, and
how we’ve navigated them. We aren’t experts—we’re the human experiment!