Feel the Fear and do it Anyway
One thing I wanted to ensure I do in this blog space is share some of the useful tools and resources that I have found along the way. One way I plan to do that is by sharing some of the books I have been reading and my thoughts on them. I am kicking this off by talking about “Feel the Fear and do it Anyway” by Susan Jeffers.
The first thing that really resonated with me when I began reading this book was the fact it was published in 1987, even though I already know it at heart it was right there in black and white, my anxious thought stream and at times stifling fears are not new to this world. It is always reassuring to be reminded that even though it can feel incredibly lonely inside my mind, I am not alone and many of my thoughts are not unique. I’m just not special, thank goodness!
I must also express that this book isn’t just for those of us that have particular challenges with fear on a regular basis. This book is for anyone who has a fear that has become a barrier and is holding them back in someway, whether that be someone looking to start a new career, end a relationship, a fear of public speaking, a fear of flying, even the fear of being assertive and expressing themselves, and the list could go on. This book really does have lessons that could be useful for anyone.
“Feel the Fear and do it Anyway” takes you on a journey from addressing what your biggest fears truly are, to learning to take responsibility for the things that happen in your life (caused by you or not), to finding the positive slant in our toughest times (not false positivity but a growing learning owning positivity), being open to what the universe throws our way, and learning to say “I’ll handle it” in situations that might currently intimidate or derail us.
Personally I have been on quite journey whilst reading this book and I have definitely taken away some tools for life. If you want to stop letting fear get in the way of your next steps then this book is definitely for you. In the past month since I started reading this book I have definitely felt the fear, that is not unusual for me but rather than let it derail me I have told myself, “I’ve got this,” and done it anyway.
To wrap up I will leave you with this, one of my favourite passages from the book. I sincerely hope it encourages you to “Feel the Fear and do it Anyway”!
“The most important thing is for you to be your own best friend. Whatever you are doing - don’t put yourself down. Slowly begin to discover which, for you, is the path of the heart. Which path in life will make you grow? That is the path to take.”
