Fear.

February 2, 2015- Fear.

Let’s be cliché and name some of the quotes and artists that have spoken against the bounds of fear:

The only thing we have to fear is fear itself.- Franklin D. Roosevelt

The mark of fear is not easily removed.- Ernest Gaines

Don't let the fear of striking out hold you back.- Babe Ruth

Even the word of the Lord says ‘we are not given the spirit of fear’. But let’s look at the power of fear, for one moment. Granted when you think of power, you think of control and possession and automatically fear is a negative. But oh contraire, fear is a tool of master manipulation and if executed properly can be quite the motivator.

The other evening I was watching a commentary on the new series Empire starring Terrance Howard and Taraji P. Henson and Taraji said something that was so striking. She said “…this is how I pick my roles. If it doesn’t scare the hell out of me, I don’t do them.” Hmmm, right? Compelling and right on! I think we all get to a point when we want and like to play it “safe”. Don’t offend people or over challenge ourselves. We get used to not scaring ourselves into greater things.

Fear and being scared are one in the same. They both ignite heighten moods, increased swings of anxiety, nausea—I can go on and on. Am I right? But let’s look at that anxiety as …a push.

I am petrified to put myself too far out there as a performer because what happens if I am a not as good as I think I am? Or as skilled as I thought I was trained to be? What if all of my rejections were “the universe” telling me that this is NOT what I am supposed to be doing?! What if!?

Lord, look at the “power” of Fear! What I am learning to fear is not the possibility of failure but the regret of not seeking out another opportunity. Instead of letting fear keep you away from standing…let it scare you away from sitting. Literally, ‘flip the script’ on fear.

Brit

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