Lately I have been thinking about my fears a little and more importantly, what effect they have on my life. Of course, fear is a natural response that protects us from a fair bit of stupidity in taking risks, but when we apply the same physical sense to protect our emotional state, it gets very limiting.
Often enough, I have feared looking like an idiot by failing or, not being good at something which has resulted in me not trying. In my past I haven't put myself or there so heavily, I have held myself back in many ways. What good comes of it?
What is the worst that can happen?
People laugh, ridicule, ostracize? Does any of that matter? It is funny When I think back to when younger and all the things I didn't do it of fear of judgement. People say, we shouldn't judge others but the reality is that life is a process of evaluations and decision making and people are hardwired to judge.
What we shouldn't do is give a damn about being judged. Positively or negatively.
This is a hypocrisy of human. We reduce the opinions of people who judge us negatively as being uninformed yet, raise up those who judge us positively. It is poor judgement, isn't it?
One of the fears I have always had has been concerning money, a lack of money. Having the fear hasn't magically made me wealthy but instead has stopped me from investing when I could have as the fear of potential loss outweighs the chance of gain. Instead, I have tried to protect what I have instead of use it as a resource to build upon.
It hasn't worked. Saving money only gets one so far, one has to make money and use it to build upon. Not just money of course, all resources like skills, talent, time. They can all be used to build in various ways, invested into value adding activity. I have wasted a lot of my personal resources that I could have leveraged to grow my experience.
Our of fears.
Over the last two years I have started heavily changing my outlook and processes on investing myself into things and have decided that the limitation of fear is not going to dictate terms as heavily, not stop me from giving something I care about a go. If I want to build a future where I have the personal resources to be comfortable, look after my family and help others, I am going to have to do more than I was and, do differently than I was.
The bears don't scare me because now, the fear of not having enough isn't there because I trust myself to work it out and do what it takes if necessary. What is the worst that can happen? If all of my investments fail, I still have my mind and whatever my body can do to fall back on and try again with. I will survive, just with less resources, comfort and tools to use to accomplish my goals. I may have to adjust my goals too. Adapt.
I can do that, I can adjust to conditions well enough, I can learn new ways to live a life.
Stupidity is the inability to adapt to change.
Am I am idiot? Yes, I have been because instead of changing my fears that held me back, I used them as an excuse to stand still, not adapt. That is far from intelligent behaviour. We like to have excuses for why we don't do things but let's face it, it is likely always because we are scared of failure in some way or another.
Fear stops us from investing ourselves into or experience and protects our ego through justification of behaviour. We lower our aim, stand instead of step - hold ourselves back from our own potential.
Screw that.
Taraz
[ a Steem original ]
(posted from phone)
Taking calculated risks, many of those in parallel. That way you don't need to have fear when a few of those don't work out.
decentralized fear management :)
In my case, I'm making use of this bear market largely because I'm in a situation where I have that option. I'm currently semi-homeless, unemployed, but receiving a small stipend from an insurance company due to a worker's comp claim. I have absolutely -no right- to be investing that money under any rational circumstances... however..
I do have shelter, in a camper on my father's land. I do have food (holy crap, so much food) because my step-mother cooks for stress relief. And believe it or not, I have been in -much worse- situations than this. I spent the summer eating out of trashcans and raiding ashtrays for smokes while working a full-time job because I was fleeing an abuser. I've learned to live on a scale that many Americans would consider sub-human... So this incredibly meager lifestyle is a palace to me. I am staggeringly grateful for my blessings.
And I know those blessings are not going to last. I can't stay here forever, nor would I wish to.
Effectively, I have this once in lifetime opportunity to put spare cash into a bear market, and reap the rewards, which are without question; most questionable. And that's completely fine by me, cause I've thrown away more money than you can imagine living the American Convenience-Culture lifestyle, and it nearly killed me. Here's a post that I wrote the first time I dropped $100 on Steem. I just dropped $100 more yesterday, for even greater rewards.
Lol, riding the bears all the way to Heaven. <3
Encyclopedia Dramatica
There is wise fear that reflects caution. And then there is limiting fear that reflects self-doubt. It is wise to pause when wading into dangerous territory and lacking knowledge of what it takes to survive there.
But we can gain knowledge, and then venture out in search of fortune. It is a calculated risk then, not a reckless one.
I think there is an environmental awareness factor to recognise what kind of fear is in play.
Reading this made me realize how I'm also trying to embrace fearless life, especially that concerning the judgment of other people. I've noticed that instead of embarrassment, it usually leads to great things and a sense of liberation.
Your trip must be doing wonders for embracing various types of fears and getting by.
Great to see you take this approach as they is little reward when no risk is present. The importance is that Plan B always be present just in case. Never keep all the eggs in one basket!
Posted using Partiko iOS
The eggs are so all over the place at the moment, it feels like Easter.
No one has ever died from jumping off a tall building. Its the sudden stop that gets them not the fall.
My point is to be prepared for the stop. And we all look stupid on the way down resulting in criticism and laughters.
The information gained outweigh all failures. Millions have gone bankrupt many times in some cases before they even succeed
Keep pushing forward . success comes in many forms.
And can only be achieved from investing into something. Personal success can't be gifted.
That is so true. Yet some try with a hard lesson or sudden stop.
Fear is why most of us are in the same position. Nothing is guaranteed but at least buy a ticket. I never used to and believed in the old school way of saving, but who does that today.
Saving only works when one is able to have enough excess capacity to save enough for future needs. Saving and investing on the other hand comes with risks and potentials.