COMPASS

June 11th, 2018

What path must we take to gain a greater sense of fulfillment in life?

What is the indicator that points, and says: this thing, this way, that’s the right direction.

How do we suss out all the internal noise of thoughts and feelings to figure out which way we should go, which goal we should pursue, which path to take?

The answer is fear.

What ever dreams we have that inspire a sense of fear when we actually give some thought to the first step towards that dream.  This fear is our compass.

Like approaching a crush in highschool.

Like walking up on stage to begin the audition.

These experiences are fraught with fear and trepidation.

What is most important to realize about this odd compass is that top performers are not devoid of fear.  Top performers experience the emotion of fear just like everyone else.  The difference is the way top performers react to fear.  Top performers use the fear.  Like a compass, to direct and sharpen resolve.

The root of this fear is an uncertainty about the outcome of our actions.

Will we succeed?

Will we stumble, fall and embarrass ourselves?

Perhaps.

And when we do stumble, and when they laugh, that fear only grows larger.

To submit to fear is to misunderstand.

The fear grows larger like a dare.

I dare you to do it.

I dare you to try again.

I double-dare you.

We intuit the usefulness of fear socially in this context.  Somehow in a social context, fear via daring someone, is motivating.

But in the privacy of our own mind, the usefulness of fear is lost. 

We cripple ourselves instead of using fear properly as an agent of motivation.

If we can pause. If we can be mindful of the fear.  Recognize the fear is not actually connected to anything truly dangerous.  Then we can use that fear.

We can choose to embody that fear.  Like a best friend who knows you want to make the jump.  Who knows you will make the jump.

We can embody the fear and usurp it’s rhetoric against ourselves.

When we are about to try.  About to attempt.  About to take a chance.

And fear rises to meet us.

We can recognize it as our compass, as a responsibility.  Take it’s cue as our turn to dare and taunt the angels of our weaker selves.

Come on scaredy cat, I dare you.

I double-dare you.