“To feel fear doesn’t mean that you’re a coward. Boldness is taking action in the presence of fear – do it afraid” – Joyce Meyer.
I stumbled on the quote above on Pinterest and it resonated with me on so many levels. It also called for practical application and one of the numerous suitable scenarios was in launching this blog site.
Storytime…
The idea of putting out content in written form first occurred to me a couple of years ago on a rather passive note — just like every other of the countless ideas that constantly frequent the human mind. And as is usually the first reaction to these ideas, I immediately relegated it to the back of the other ideas at the top of my mind at the time.
But it wouldn’t stay down for long. It kept popping up in my thoughts like an inflated ball forced down water. Soon it was bugging and my resistance was failing. The more I tried to discard the idea, the harder it pressed for expression. I came up with a plethora of excuses as to why I wasn’t ready to act on the idea, chief of them being that I had little or no experience with blogging.
Well, I eventually decided to give it a try on a small scale, so I put together a few articles and had them up on Facebook and on Medium (both pages are still active). I was playing it safe.
Over time, I would slip up due to inconsistency and once again bury the idea down the pile of other stuff I felt were more important. It would remain at rest for some time, only to resurface with a far greater force than it possessed the first time. The unrest it created within was stronger. Its desire for expression was far greater, and my resistance lesser having already tasted of the bliss associated with the art:)…
It vehemently insisted I go all out this time since playing it safe didn’t prove effective.
I found myself trapped between taking actions on the persistent ‘bug’ and fighting to keep it down. Although the former required some courage, it seemed like the easier option. Trust me, you don’t wanna fight an idea that is due for expression. You’d have to be an exceptional wrestler to overcome:)
In all of these, one thing remained constant — the presence of fear. Fear of not being good enough, fear of not being consistent, fear of not having enough experience, amongst others. Some of them seem valid and others are rather amusing.
Now, this is where I intend to lay emphasis.
In my not-so-little experience, I have come to learn that fear isn’t always a sign of weakness or incapacity. It is sometimes a cue that you are on the right path. Every worthwhile venture I have taken on was preceded by that nervous feeling that can be translated into fear. Truthfully, sometimes I chicken out, but for every other time I acted regardless, the fear dissolves into excitement at the dawn of results.
The feeling of fear can be harnessed to provide the push we need to get through daunting tasks and projects. As in the quote above, taking action in the presence of fear is a sign of boldness. The butterflies in your stomach are only seeking to be set free. Hold them back no further. Get to work on those ideas, irrespective of how you feel and you’ll be glad you did!
Don’t let your fears cripple you.
Do it afraid!
Wow.. just wow! We were told to overcome our fears first, but it doesn’t always work.
It’s time to do it afraid! Thank you for this, sir.
You’re welcome!:)
Amazing 🤸🤸💕
Thank you for sharing this
Do it afraid! Take action in the presence of fear 🤔
I’m glad you enjoyed it!
Timely! Thank you for this awesome piece.
You’re welcome:)
👏👏👏
Thank you!😊
Brilliant piece man… “Do it Afraid”. This article resonates with me more than I would like to accept it does; keep up the good work. I am definitely headed out to do that which I am afraid of not being good enough for.
Thank you!
I’m glad you found it valuable:)
Very nice content ✨👍
The play and use of words are 💪
It is very good for someone learning English language.
Thanks for the advice and for sharing
Thank you!
I’m glad you enjoyed it:)
I’m not trying to be greedy or selfish here but I think this piece is for me alone. In the long run, I’ve come to realize that this is my biggest hiccup, “Fear”. Sometimes the question that keeps popping in my head is, “How is the public going to react to this? Will they accept it?”. Inarguably, this is the kind of fear I tag “Fear of what people will say”. And as long as this thought lingers in my head and mind, the zeal to do that which I have set out to do gradually begins to fade into darkness until I can find it no more. Resuscitating this vibe and zeal again is like “looking for a black goat in the middle of the night”. This piece has just sparked a fire in me. All I can hear now is “Just do it! Regardless of what they will say, give it a shot!”. I pray and hope that I burn with this fresh fire. Thank you Somtochukwu for this piece! Keep up the good work.
Wow… I’m glad you found it valuable.
Thank you!
Thanks hundred times. ” fear is not always a sign of weakness or incapacity but a cue that I’m on right path “. I’m going to let that butterfly to soar
You’re welcome:)
Amazing 🤯🤯
Thank you!:)
So inspiring!👏👏👏
Thank you!
I’m glad you found it valuable:)
A mist must read! Thank you for this piece
You’re welcome!:)
This is indeed a very timely piece, a reminder of the evergreen words of Ellen Sirleaf- “if your ‘goals’ do not scare you, then they are not big enough.” This infact positions fear as a prerequisite for great endeavors, a true contrarian view that’s not held to esteem out there and a testament to the tenacity of the mind that has conjured this piece!
Thank you so much for being practical with your understanding and sharing this beautiful piece with us. The best is yet to come! ✊🏽
“If your goals do not scare you, then they are not big enough”
Thanks for the kind words!
“You don’t wanna fight an idea that is due for expression”…. this definitely resonated with me 🙌 appreciate your work. Thank you 😊
“Boldness is taking action in the presence of fear”… I’m glad you shared this bro…My perception of fear just got a new light.
Wow.. I’m glad you found it valuable!
I find myself self in your previous shoes, “the fear of inconsistency especially.” God help me.
We all have some fear at every given time. What matters is moving amidst the fear..
Woww. I am inspired
I’m glad you found it valuable:)