What is Your Greatest Fear?

  Our greatest fear is not that we are inadequate but that we are powerful beyond measure.....as we let our own light shine, we consciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our fear, our presence automatically liberates others. - Nelson Mandela

A few years ago a recruiter I became friendly with asked me, "Colleen, what is your greatest fear?" I sat there thinking for a few minutes but couldn't come up with an answer. I am definitely not a fearless person, which is something I learned when I tried rock climbing in high school. When the climbing instructor wouldn't lower me down to the ground, I gave a rather dramatic, emotionally-fueled show as I gripped the edges of the rocks, holding on for dear life. I found out I have a fear of heights and haven't been rock climbing since my first, and probably last attempt. Besides being afraid of heights, I am also afraid of certain bugs, scary movies, and wild animals that surprise me while running.

I am sure I have a number of other fears that I have either forgotten about or have yet to discover. As for my greatest fear, I finally realized what it was shortly after the recruiter first asked me. My greatest fear is: not living the life I have imagined for myself. Six years ago I attended a retreat and on the vision board I created, I drew a picture of my own business. At the time I wasn't quite sure what type of business I would start; however, I knew by the age of 30 my dream of being a business owner needed to become a reality. Was I afraid to start my own business? You better believe it. I didn't know where to start. I had all these ideas swimming in my head and I wondered if I was crazy thinking I could successfully run my own business. The one thing I knew for sure though is that I absolutely needed to pursue my goal or I would severely regret not doing so. Failing for me was better than never trying. I didn't want to look back on my life years from now wondering why I allowed fear to run the show.

So many of us are living lives that are dictated by fear. We stay in dysfunctional relationships because we are afraid of being alone. We stay in jobs we hate because we are afraid of change. We put off pursuing a goal because we are afraid of failing. Ask yourself, "What if fear didn't exist in my life?" How different would your life look? What type of life would you be living if fear wasn't in the way?

What we need to realize is that fear is merely a mental construct that we can easily distinguish if we want to. When fear evaporates, our whole world opens up. We see new opportunities that were blind to us before. We feel free and energized by the unknown. We make changes we never thought were possible. From what I have experienced in my own life, and in the lives of my clients is that overcoming fear often leads to finding one's life purpose. Many of us are truly afraid of becoming everything we were meant to be.

So here's to taking risks in life and giving fear a run for its money. You are stronger than fear. You too deserve to live the life have always imagined for yourself!