Fear versus regret

“All the best things in life live on the other side of fear”

• Will Smith said this in This Is Earth

My grandmother used to say,

“God places the best things in life on the other side of fear. “ Well, He also puts the brightest of things in life on the other side of darkness. So much so, that I only really began to see… when I descended into the dark. – Will Smith

“Everything you’ve ever wanted is on the other side of fear.” ~ George Adair

When I think back on my life, and just let memories pop up, the meaningful things are often those that took me stepping out of my comfort zone.

Trying something different, pushing myself, outside of the norm.

Doing something for the experience.

Fear can make you feel alive, and can push you through.

It’ll keep you from feeling flat.

When you’ve pushed yourself, and intentionally stepped into the path of fear, what’s the worst thing that’s happened?

Did the worst-case-scenario ever actually manifest?

And if it did, was it as bad as you thought it would be?

Did it have long-term negative effects on your life? They rarely do.

If the result is positive, it’s usually a big positive change.

If the result is negative, it’s usually forgotten the next day.

The upside is much bigger than the downside.

I also feared boredom and mediocrity much more than I feared failure. For me, great is better than terrible, and terrible is better than mediocre, because terrible at least gives life flavor. - Ray Dalio

Face your fears, what’s the worst things that can happen?

I’ll tell you, it’s regret.

Have you done anything courageous today? What’s the worst that can happen? Most of the worst things that happen to use are not from choices we made, but an accident or something out of our control - our car accident.

Don’t fear big. Fear mediocrity. Fear waste.

• The ONE thing

Writer and psychoanalyst Marion Milner on seeing clearly:

“There seemed to be endless obstacles preventing me from living with my eyes open, but as I gradually followed up clue after clue it seemed that the root cause of them all was fear.”