43 Quotes About Fear

I love quotes! A good quote can help shift your perspective at just the right moment and provide inspiration in the face of darkness. Enjoy some of my favorite quotes about a topic near and dear to my heart: Fear.

You might take one (or two or more) of your favorites and post them around so you can see them, read them, and breathe them in when you need a dose of inspiration.

Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our Light, not our Darkness, that most frightens us. ~ Marianne Williamson

Fear is only as deep as the mind allows. ~ Japanese Proverb

Curiosity will conquer fear even more than bravery will. ~ James Stephens

Fear: False Evidence Appearing Real. ~ Unknown

Where no hope is left, is left no fear. ~ Milton

Avoiding danger is no safer in the long run than outright exposure. The fearful are caught as often as the bold. ~ Helen Keller

You can discover what your enemy fears most by observing the means he uses to frighten you. ~ Eric Hoffer

If you are distressed by anything external, the pain is not due to the thing itself, but to your estimate of it; and this you have the power to revoke at any moment. ~ Marcus Aurelius

Fear is the main source of superstition, and one of the main sources of cruelty. To conquer fear is the beginning of wisdom. ~ Bertrand Russell

I learned that courage was not the absence of fear, but the triumph over it. The brave man is not he who does not feel afraid, but he who conquers that fear. ~ Nelson Mandela

Expose yourself to your deepest fear; after that, fear has no power, and the fear of freedom shrinks and vanishes. You are free. ~ Jim Morrison

Action and reaction, ebb and flow, trial and error, change – this is the rhythm of living. Out of our over-confidence, fear; out of our fear, clearer vision, fresh hope. And out of hope, progress. ~ Bruce Barton

You gain strength, courage, and confidence by every experience in which you really stop to look fear in the face. You are able to say to yourself, ‘I lived through this horror. I can take the next thing that comes along. ~ Eleanor Roosevelt

Courage is resistance to fear, mastery of fear, not absence of fear. ~ Mark Twain

Fear cannot be without hope nor hope without fear. ~ Baruch Spinoza

Have no fear of perfection – you’ll never reach it. ~ Salvador Dali

If you want to conquer fear, don’t sit home and think about it. Go out and get busy. ~ Dale Carnegie

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For tips on HOW to overcome your fear, check out my online course –> “Fear 101: How to Harness the Power of Fear to Get Back on Track.”

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Do not fear mistakes. You will know failure. Continue to reach out. ~ Benjamin Franklin

Fears are educated into us, and can, if we wish, be educated out. ~ Karl Augustus Menninger

Action is a great restorer and builder of confidence. Inaction is not only the result, but the cause, of fear. Perhaps the action you take will be successful; perhaps different action or adjustments will have to follow. But any action is better than no action at all. ~ Norman Vincent Peale

Fear makes strangers of people who would be friends. ~ Shirley MacLaine

Do the thing you fear most and the death of fear is certain. ~ Mark Twain

If you know the enemy and know yourself you need not fear the results of a hundred battles. ~ Sun Tzu

We are afraid to care too much, for fear that the other person does not care at all. ~ Eleanor Roosevelt

Remembering that I’ll be dead soon is the most important tool I’ve ever encountered to help me make the big choices in life. Because almost everything – all external expectations, all pride, all fear of embarrassment or failure – these things just fall away in the face of death, leaving only what is truly important. ~ Steve Jobs

Tell your heart that the fear of suffering is worse than the suffering itself. And no heart has ever suffered when it goes in search of its dream. ~ Paulo Coelho

We must build dikes of courage to hold back the flood of fear. ~ Martin Luther King, Jr.

Have no fear of moving into the unknown. Simply step out fearlessly knowing that I am with you, therefore no harm can befall you; all is very, very well. Do this in complete faith and confidence. ~ Pope John Paul II

When I hear music, I fear no danger. I am invulnerable. I see no foe. I am related to the earliest times, and to the latest. ~ Henry David Thoreau

No one ever told me that grief felt so like fear. ~ C. S. Lewis

When one has the feeling of dislike for evil, when one feels tranquil, one finds pleasure in listening to good teachings; when one has these feelings and appreciates them, one is free of fear. ~ Buddha

Never let the fear of striking out get in your way. ~ Babe Ruth

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Check out my online course “Fear 101: How to Harness the Power of Fear to Get Back on Track” to get some of my best tips on using fear to your advantage.

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It’s the most unhappy people who most fear change. ~ Mignon McLaughlin

As soon as the fear approaches near, attack and destroy it. ~ Chanakya

We fear violence less than our own feelings. Personal, private, solitary pain is more terrifying than what anyone else can inflict. ~ Jim Morrison

Fear defeats more people than any other one thing in the world. ~ Ralph Waldo Emerson

When I hear music, I fear no danger. I am invulnerable. I see no foe. I am related to the earliest times, and to the latest. ~ Henry David Thoreau

You gain strength, courage, and confidence by every experience in which you really stop to look fear in the face. You must do the thing which you think you cannot do. ~ Eleanor Roosevelt

In skating over thin ice our safety is in our speed. ~ Ralph Waldo Emerson

The oldest and strongest emotion of mankind is fear, and the oldest and strongest kind of fear is fear of the unknown. ~ H. P. Lovecraft

Inaction breeds doubt and fear. Action breeds confidence and courage. If you want to conquer fear, do not sit home and think about it. Go out and get busy. ~ Dale Carnegie

Try a thing you haven’t done three times. Once, to get over the fear of doing it. Twice, to learn how to do it. And a third time to figure out whether you like it or not. ~ Virgil Thomson

The enemy is fear. We think it is hate; but, it is fear. ~ Gandhi

Never be afraid to try something new. Remember, amateurs built the ark, professionals built the Titanic. ~ Unknown

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For tips on HOW to overcome your fear, check out the online course –> “Fear 101: How to Harness the Power of Fear to Get Back on Track.”

 

Veruca Salt Ain’t Got Nothing On Me: 4 Tips to Get Over Your Patience-Challenged Self

In a world where you can order food, clothing, education, and people online (or on your phone) with the touch of a button or a swipe to the right and have them appear within minutes, it’s no wonder we can get a sense of urgency about EVERYTHING.

If patience is a virtue, then we’re doomed.

But when I was growing up, I was taught that the things in life worth having were things that took time and effort. Do you see my dilemma?

Even though like Veruka Salt of Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory “I want it and I want it NOW,” I also know it takes time and effort to get it. And that once we set our intention and our goal, our work has really just begun. The universe will continually test us to make sure we really want it.

This certainly could not have been truer during my recent re-branding process.

Luckily, in addition to some really great tools for shifting my thinking and my mood, I also have a great support system of friends, colleagues, and a kick-ass coach who all know about my restless nature and instead of allowing me to wallow in it help me learn from it.

So if you are patience-challenged, like me, when going after your big juicy dreams (in business OR in life), then these tips may be just what you need to GET OVER YOURSELF and muster up the strength to keep moving forward toward greatness:

1. Define your success. Nothing unleashes the green-eyed monster of envy faster than a skewed sense of success. In traditional business, success is often equated with money. But not everyone measures success that way. For me, success if about getting out of my comfort zone, being more visible, speaking my truth, and making an impact.
2. Don’t compare yourself to others. We all can fall prey to the comparison trap. But we have to remember that what we see on the outside is rarely what’s happening on the inside. I cannot tell you how many colleagues of mine have had the same experience as me of taking their business to the next level and having their personal lives fall to pieces concurrently. But on the outside, all others see is the prettiness of the business growth. When you find yourself wishing you had what others had, realize you’re not only wising for the good stuff, but the not so good stuff.
3. Align yourself with what you want (not what you don’t). It’s amazing how much we focus on what we DON’T want. I catch myself doing that and nip it in the bud as quickly as possible. If what we focus on is what we create, then why (oh, why) would we want to focus on anything but what we want?
4. Don’t quit before the miracle. Setbacks are part of the deal. The path from where you are now to where you want to be is NOT a straight, perfect line. It’s a curvy, jagged, winding road with detours, potholes, and inclement weather. The real work isn’t about getting to the end, it’s about managing all the crap that came up in the process of getting there.

If we got what we want immediately all the time, I truly believe we wouldn’t really appreciate it. The lessons and challenges we have along the way teach us so much and allow us the opportunity to really appreciate what we have.

So, move over you Verucas of the world. It’s time to actually put in the time and effort to get what you want. You’ll be soooo glad you did!

Got anything to share about your patience challenges and how you’ve dealt with them? Leave a comment below.

Meanwhile enjoy this blast from the past, Miss Veruca in action…

Getting Comfortable with Being Uncomfortable

In the months of my re-branding process (and even in the months leading up to it), I’ve had a creative surge. But most of my ideas aren’t really new. THANK GOODNESS!!

As part of me getting clearer about who I am and what I stand for, I’ve been able to embrace projects that have been abandoned over the years. I’m no stranger to branding. This is my third time to the rodeo in four years. But what’s so different this time around is that I’m deadest on bringing anything I’ve created that involves the theme of GETTING OUT OF YOUR OWN DAMN WAY to light.

No more hiding. No more abandoning my babies. No more excuses.

Nope. It’s ride or die time.

Several years ago when I began imagining my dream business, I thought of all the ways I could help people using all my talents, skills, and passions. The list was LONG, and got longer.

Us creative types can get a bit sidetracked and overwhelmed. Coming up with ideas is never the problem. The problem is in finishing them. And that’s exactly where I got stuck.

Yet I didn’t get stuck in places I expected to get stuck, like in how to get things done. The how is the easy part. How involves processes, technology, resources, and systems. I know a heck of a little about a lot of things and can usually find my way through the “how” stuckness. If not, that’s what virtual assistants and other techies are for.

No I got stuck in the why part. This is the trickier part, the part that brings up the inner critic and the ugly fear monster that whispers very unsweet nothings in your ear like:

• Who do you think you are to bring your work into the world
• Nobody wants to hear what you have to say
• You’re not perfect, so you’re a fraud

DAMN those fearful thoughts!

But part of the re-branding process for me has been learning to get comfortable with being uncomfortable. Shocker. This is a phrase I use with my clients all the time. And now the tables turned. In order to bring my vision to light, I had to come to terms with the absolute and undeniable FACT that things were gonna get downright uncomfortable, meaning the inner voices of self-doubt and fear were going to get friggin’ loud.

As I braced myself for the onslaught of negativity, something strange happened. It didn’t really come. At least not as roaring and loud as I had anticipated. What happened is that while roadblocks occurred, my inner love-bug kicked in telling me things like:

• You’re amazing
• You’ve got this
• Keep going
• You’re almost there

And you know what? I listened. I’m in my 9^th month of amazing-ness. Projects are getting finished left and right. New connections are being made. New opportunities are presenting themselves. My speaking calendar has never been so booked. And more and more people are knocking down the door to work with me.

So when I talk about using fear as a catalyst rather than a crutch, I know of what I speak cause I’ve totally lived it. It is possible to tame that fear and use it to propel you forward into some amazing results.

How are you taming YOUR fear? Leave a comment below.

Photo: Performing Female Contortionist — Image by © Bernd Vogel/Corbis

5 Things You Must Do to Re-Brand Your Heart-Centered Business (And Your Life) Without Losing Your Friggin’ Mind

In my recent article, It’s a Re-Brand: How My Business Baby Done Got Borned, I spilled the beans on the birthing process for my new business brand, Get Out of Your Own Damn Way. The journey has been filled with ups and downs, breakdowns and breakthroughs, pain, joy, and FEAR.

In other words, it’s been just like life.

Yeah, there’s no escaping the fact that my business is an extension of who I am. That’s what heart-centered business owners are like. We live and breathe our business, because our business reflects who we are and what we stand for. We have HUGE, ginormous visions and missions to fill. That means my tribe gets to be on my journey with me, and I wouldn’t have it any other way (as scary as it is to be open and exposed in some of my most vulnerable moments).

Of course, there are lessons along the way. Detours. Wrong turns. Missed exits. Unexpected gems. And plenty of opportunities to walk my talk. I love the idea of helping others along their journey, even if I’m only a couple steps ahead at times. I believe we all have something to learn from each other.

So what have I learned along my re-brand journey? Honey, there ain’t enough space here for it all. But there’s some pretty major lessons that have popped out that I want to share…because they are truly LIFE lessons.

1. Get crystal clear on who you are and what you stand for. Any marketing expert will tell you that you need to be clear before you embark on branding. It’s basic stuff. But reading it or being told it is completely COMPLETELY different than living it. I thought I was clear before…twice. But when I’m being really honest, I wasn’t. I was dabbling in some different markets trying to fit them together like puzzle pieces from different puzzles. That came across in everything – my writing, my marketing, and my offers. And it certainly affected my bottom line. One of the best things I did for my business is DO THE WORK of getting clear about who I am and what I stand for.

2. Ask for help. Simply stated, but for the workaholic super woman who is used to doing everything on her own, not so simply done. Just because I CAN do most everything in my business doesn’t mean I should. There’s a certain finesse to learning to delegate. It requires letting go and trusting. Then course correcting as needed.

3. Let things percolate…but not forever. One of the wonderful things about being a creative entrepreneur is that I never have a lack of ideas. I’ve got ideas for books, programs, workshops, products, services, music, marketing, podcasts, etc. But I also suffer from what many business owners do, and that’s perfectionism. I hate putting my work out into the world without it being beautiful. The downfall is I’ve kept a lot of my ideas under wraps for years. NO MORE. I’ve finished more unfinished projects in the last several months than ever before. My mantra is “done is better than perfect.”

4. Act before you think yourself out of it. Entrepreneurs are natural risk-takers. However, we too (just like everyone else) can fall into the “analysis-paralysis” trap of over-thinking and under-acting. It’s easy to come up with reasons why something won’t work because of X, Y, and Z. But here’s a little secret – NOTHING ever turns out exactly the way we expect. So why not just get started, now, right where you’re at. There’s always room for reflection and changing course. What there’s NOT room for (if you want to fulfill your big n’ delicious dreams) is procrastination. Just get out there and DO SOMETHING.

5. Tantrums are expected, normal, and productive (if done right). It’s okay to be disappointed, frustrated, and downright ANGRY when things happen that are beyond your control. Curveballs are everywhere. But they’re not a sign to give up, they’re a sign to modify. Not one thing I planned for happened the way I anticipated during my re-brand. Technical issues, miscommunication with team members, unexpected expenses, you name it. I had moments, hours, and sometimes days when I was IN IT, grumpy, and OVER IT. But I allowed myself to yell, cry, vent, and walk away when needed to maintain my sanity. And then I got back to work having cleared my inner child’s need to throw a tantrum.

Because I’m not able to completely separate my business from my life, these are lessons that spill over into other areas as well – relationships, dating, parenting, etc. You can be sure that my life didn’t stop during my re-brand process (and actually blew up a little in some areas) and I had plenty of opportunities to put my ninja healing skills to the test in my personal life as well.

What are YOU doing to keep from losing your mind in the midst of personal and professional change? Leave a comment below.

It’s a Re-Brand: How My Business Baby Done Got Borned

Picture this: January. Ready for new beginnings. Stuck in old patterns. Desperately wanting things to change but not sure what the first step is to take. Knowing you have something completely earth-shatteringly life-alteringly amazing to share with others.

Come on now. I know I’m not the only one who’s been there.

Enter some soul-searching, tough and real (and kinda painful) conversations with friends, colleagues, and mentors. And the thought that “I’ll give it one more try, but if this doesn’t work, I’m getting a damn (gulp) job again.”

Business owners do this dance…often. We are intimately familiar with the dance of “things aren’t working” and “it’s time to change direction…again.” Yet it’s still scary. I mean, white-knuckle, hold-your-breath, eyes-wide-shut kind of scary.

And yet we soldier on. Why?

Because we have vision. We have a big mission to fill. We are driven by unseen forces and a knowing that our path, even though not easy, is the only one for us. We are trail-blazers. We are risk-takers. We are believers in magic, love, change, choice, abundance, and healing.

So what gets in the way?

I will speak for myself (but I know that my words bring voice to many of you out there).

I get in my own damn way!

In January 2015, my business was tanking. Things got hard. People weren’t registering for my workshops like they used to. People weren’t responding to my offers like they used to. It was like…crickets.

I had some tough decisions to make. And I had to take a long and honest look at what wasn’t working. After the initial shock and berating myself and stomping around like a petulant child, I got over myself and realized what I had done to contribute to the demise. And you know what? Something amazing came out of all of it.

During one especially difficult conversation with my business coach (when she jokingly says she made me cry), she backed me into a corner with this simple question: “What do you want your customers and clients to do?”

For those of you who have customers and clients, you know this isn’t always such an easy question to answer. Typically, I would hide behind words like “feel better,” “lower their stress,” or “improve their relationships.” Of course, I do want this for my customers and clients. But honestly, these are a bunch of fluffy words that don’t really mean anything because they’ve been used to death. I’ve also hidden behind the veil of losing clarity, getting unclear and foggy about what the hell it is that I do. And let’s just say, my coach does NOT let me get away with that one AT ALL.

So she pushes me. And during this conversation, she pushed me further and harder than ever before and wouldn’t let me off the hook. Tears streaming down my face, in a booming voice, and without any hesitation, I yelled at her: “I want them to get out of their own damn way.”

There was a moment of reverence after I belted it out. And she said, quietly, in stark contrast to my loud declaration, “that’s your brand.”

And my new brand was born: GET OUT OF YOUR OWN DAMN WAY!

Here we are, months later, and my new brand is finally out there. I’ve connected with colleagues, clients, and customers all over the world who resonate fiercely with it. And it is taking my business in new directions that are exciting and unexpected.

Don’t get me wrong, the road hasn’t been easy. In fact, I’ve had to re-declare every step of the way as I’ve crafted my new marketing messages, redesigned my website, created a new quiz (“How Are YOU At Getting Out of Your Own Damn Way”), and all the other things involved with a major business makeover.

But every step has been worth it. I am an entrepreneur. I did not choose the easy path. I chose the one that lets me express my soul’s work by being a beacon and a model for those I serve. My brand is Get Out of Your Own Damn Way, and that’s exactly what I must do in order to help my customers and clients do the same.

I’ll be sharing more about my re-brand journey in upcoming articles…all the lessons I’ve learned and the epiphanies that come with stepping out more fully into my greatness.

Got a comment? I’d love to hear it…leave it below.

Unraveling the Good Girl Part 2: Five Tips to Escort Her Out of the Building

In Part 1, Unraveling the Good Girl Part 1: Four Things This Little Beeatch Has to Say, I dove into some of the things my inner good girl has taught me, despite my attempts to cut her off at the knees.

I find it a blessing (and sometimes a bit of a nightmare) that there’s a lesson in EVERYTHING. Sometimes I just want to pout and have my tantrum. But alas, my years and experience in getting out of my own damn way faster and more efficiently help me see the silver lining even in the most bleak of situations.

Okay, good girl, you’re forgiven.

Now that we’ve covered what she’s done for us, we can move on to bigger and better things – namely how to not let her run our lives anymore.

As I mentioned in Part 1, my coach gave me a kick in the pants when she saw my good girl popping up recently. Sometimes it takes someone on the outside to call us on it. But other times, we just need to heed the signs and press forward. Here come the tips:

1. Acknowledge the good girl. Remember, she’s just trying to protect you like she’s done before. She means no harm. But she also needs to be acknowledged. When you notice your good girl coming out to protect you, let her know you see her.
2. Thank the good girl. After acknowledgement comes gratitude. Yes, she can be a pain in the ass, but thank her anyway. Thank her for trying to protect her.
3. Forgive the good girl. After you thank her, let her know you forgive her for all the shenanigans, making you look like a fool, making you act like a doormat. Since she is a part of you, that means you must also forgive yourself.
4. Let the good girl know you got it from here. You’re a grown-ass woman now with grown-up responsibilities and the power to make things happen. It’s okay to dismiss the good girl and let her know she’s no longer needed.
5. Put on your big girl pants. It’s time to put on those big girl pants and take responsibility for yourself. That includes your thoughts, your feelings, and your actions. No more blaming the good girl who doesn’t want to make waves. Make those waves, honey! Splash around and have fun with them while you’re at it.

The good girl may come back from time to time, but you have control over how long you let her hang around.

What are your thoughts on unraveling the good girl? Leave a comment below.