How to use fear to live a better life

Fear always struck me as something to avoid.

I learned over the years that fear created a false sense of what was worth doing and what should be avoided.

I believed scary things were the Universe telling me to cut and run.

But I always felt bad — felt it in my gut — that avoidance didn’t always feel right.

When I spent too long steering clear of things that made me a bit nervous, I always felt stagnant, a little hollow.

I’m not here to shower you with the same old trope: do the things you fear because that’s where you’ll find growth.

But there is truth to it.

Here’s how to work with fear for a better life:

• Learn to distinguish between something that feels instinctually not right and something that could be re-interpreted as exciting. It’s the latter that gives you signs of where to go.

• What things simultaneously excite you while poking you with a bit of fear? Do more of those things.

• Understand that fear is showing you what you care about. You want to get it right. Perhaps it isn’t to avoid but to explore more of, in small steps if needed.

• What have you been avoiding that you know would be good for you? Find the courage to do more of those things. Know that you need this. Take the tiniest of steps. When you face those fears head-on, you’ll see they aren’t things to fear at all.

Everything changed when I began to see fear as a source of new horizons.

Instead of planning around fear, I worked it back into the plan, and a buzzing life returned.

It isn’t always easy to step up to this level.

But this is where your greatest rewards are hiding.

Writing in public is the place to start. It’s how you build an audience who will support you over time and it will bring you an ongoing sense of purpose.

To learn about how to quickly move into the top 10% of online writers, you can learn more about the Online Writing Alchemy course here.

Alex