Fear
Often while we think we’re playing it safe we are just avoiding fear. We are afraid of many things, but at it’s heart we are afraid of losing love and acceptance. For example, we are afraid:
- to look foolish – we might be shunned
- of failing – we’ll be labeled a looser
- of saying anything upsetting or controversial – people might not like us
When we live like this, we travel only the paths well worn by others. We make sure to not do anything to stand out or call attention to ourselves. We don’t initiate something new – it might fail or we might look foolish. We play it safe, avoiding as many risks as we can.
The price we pay for living this way, is that we don’t try anything extraordinary. We end up skipping out on things that will make us truly happy. Our need for significance goes unmet. Our need to contribute to the world is ignored. Other people whom we might influence miss out as well. We leave a very small impact in the world, and our life feels very small.
Or Love
The answer is to shift from fear to love. When we are filled with love, there is no room for fear.
For example, we would normally be quite afraid to step in front of a car going 45 mph. Yet, we are perfectly willing to risk our own safety if our child is in the car’s path. We will run in front of the car to get our child out of harms way and we probably won’t even consider our own personal risk. Fear doesn’t enter into it. We love our child, so off we dash.
In this same way, when we focus on others and their needs, when we shift from fear to love, we are able to take personal risks and step out of our comfort zone. Instead of fear, we see that people need us and our unique contribution.
With this attitude of love, we can, for example, start a business or non-profit, speak up in a group, mentor some kids, eat with homeless folks, write a book, give away thousands of dollars, adopt some children, or maybe even begin public speaking. The possibilities are endless.
Do we want to be safe and secure, or make a meaningful impact in the world? For you, which will win, fear or love?
