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
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
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
Join me as I interview Jarrett Ransom on Thursday, September 10, as part of the Get Out of Your Own Damn Way Jam Sessions. Powerful people sharing powerful stories of how they tamed their fears, embraced their greatness, and got out of their own damn way.
Sign up to listen to the LIVE or RECORDED interview for FREE by entering your name and email in the box that appears below…or head on over to the registration page.
ABOUT THIS GUEST: Jarrett Ransom is the founder of ReAwaken, a women’s empowerment organization and the author of Overcoming Obstacles and Staying Positive. This book is for anyone who has experienced an obstacle or knows someone facing one and intended to provide valuable tips and share personal experiences. Jarrett shares her life’s message and experiences openly in hopes of spreading inspiration to others. Growing up in a small town with a wonderful childhood, she has experienced failure, pain, rejection and has hit many bumps in the road. Keeping her head held high and choosing to be the victor (not the victim), she is focused on motivating and inspiring individuals to always seek the positive in life and to find the silver lining in everything. Get ready to build your lemonade stand and take charge of your own life. ReAwaken provides resources and tools for adult women to grow on their personal journey. Through the supportive community that ReAwaken provides, it has impacted thousands of women in the Arizona area and beyond to live their passion and follow their dreams.
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.
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.
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:
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.
Were you conditioned to be “the good girl?” You know, the one who says yes to everyone else, puts others’ needs before her own, and apologizes for taking up space?
Yeah, me too.
And just when I think I unraveled that “good girl” conditioning and said goodbye to her forever, you guessed it, something else happens to bring her back. It’s not that I don’t like her or appreciate what she’s done for me. But frankly, she gets a bit annoying, especially when I’m over here trying to live my life and realize some pretty crazy big-ass dreams. I mean, I’ve got a passionate mission to fulfill.
Oh, good girl…BITE ME!
This latest rearing of the ugly good girl came during an up-leveling in my business where I’m (gulp) inviting people to work with me in a bigger way. No biggie, right? That’s what entrepreneurs do.
But apparently, Miss Thang decided she needed to apologize for asking. WTF? Thank goodness for my own kick-ass coach who nipped that shizz in the bud and got me back on track.
But it got me to thinking…
What is that inner good girl here to teach me, and why in the HELL does she always show up when I’m stepping more fully into my purpose?
When I got silent and let those questions sink in a bit, the answers flooded me like a ton of bricks.
As with any part of ourselves, there area always lessons to be learned. I challenge you to get silent and find out what YOUR inner good girl is trying to tell you.
In Part 2, I’ll explore some ways to gently let the good girl go.
Got any insights? Leave a comment below.
Here in the USA we just finished celebrating Independence Day. Each year, it’s a reminder of what it means to be free and what sacrifices were made for our freedom.
Each year, I’m also reminded of what freedom means to me and how it looks on a more personal and individual basis.
To me, freedom is about living well and being my best self. It’s about creating (and maintaining) the type of lifestyle I want, which includes everything from relationships, to finances, to health, to play.
What does it really look like to be free? Here are some thoughts:
Remember, freedom is something we are all striving for in one way or another.
What are your thoughts on what freedom looks like? Share a comment below.