Imagine you're driving somewhere that matters to you.
You know roughly where you want to go.
But you are not alone in the car.
Fear is there. Doubt has come along too. Maybe comparison is sitting in the back.
And every now and then one of them gets very loud.
“What if this doesn't work?” “What if you embarrass yourself?” “What if everyone else is better?”
It is tempting to think the journey can only continue once those voices disappear.
But what if they don't?
Perhaps the question is not whether fear is in the car.
The question is: “Who is holding the wheel?”
Fear may have something worth listening to. Doubt may be telling you to look more carefully.
But listening to something is different from allowing it to choose the destination.
So when something matters to you and fear shows up, perhaps ask:
“What is fear telling me — and does it get to decide what I do next?”