PP 118: 3 Reasons to Overcome Fear & Start Pursuing Your Creative Dreams
"Doubt kills more dreams than failure ever will." -Suzy Kazzem
The following concept is from a talk Lewis Howes gave at his Summit of Greatness last October 2018.
He mentioned that the 3 causes of self-doubt that hold us back from chasing our creative dreams fall into these buckets of fear:
Fear of Failure
Fear of Judgment
Fear of Success
Imagine a 3-ring Venn diagram with each fear located in a circle. At the overlapping center is the feeling of "I'm not enough."
In today's episode, I'm giving you 3 reasons to overcome your fear of getting started now, so that your future self will thank you.
3 Reasons to Overcome Fear & Start Pursuing Your Creative Dreams
1. Avoid the 'What Ifs' On Your Deathbed
In the book The Top Five Regrets of the Dying: A Life Transformed by the Dearly Departing by Bonnie Ware, the number one regret from those on their deathbed was, "I wish I’d had the courage to live a life true to myself, not the life others expected of me."
Bonnie states, “This was the most common regret of all. When people realize that their life is almost over and look back clearly on it, it is easy to see how many dreams have gone unfulfilled. Most people had not honored even a half of their dreams and had to die knowing that it was due to choices they had made or not made. Health brings a freedom very few realize until they no longer have it."
Final thoughts:
Don't let the thoughts and influences of family, friends, or acquaintances deter you from pursuing your calling—don't settle for an average life!
Don't ignore the omens and signs—the more of them you ignore, the less they'll come your way; and you'll give up on your dream
2. You'll Regret Not Starting Sooner
Avoid the trap of tomorrow
I'll start this when I:
have the time
have the energy
have the resources
hit this age
land this job
etc.
My Biggest Regrets
My biggest regrets have never been, "Damn, I never should've attempted that."
My biggest regrets have always been, "Damn, I wish I would've started doing that sooner."
E.g., sharing my work, blogging, podcasting, video, investing TIME and EFFORT into myself and my dream
Every new start is a humble beginning
Take Action
Action leads to failure, which is necessary for growth.
3. Don't Rob Yourself and Others of Your Gift
"The meaning of life is to find your gift. The purpose of life is to give it away." - William Shakespeare or Picasso (nobody knows)
We all have untapped creative potential, and it's our duty to spend our days trying to discover it so we can share with others
When you don't seek out your gift, you rob your current and future self of purpose, fulfillment, happiness, and value you can bring to others
Action Step: Attack Fear
"Do what you fear, and fear disappears." - David Joseph Schwartz
What is the one thing that's holding you back from chasing your creative dreams?
By the end of the day of when you first hear this episode, I challenge you to get uncomfortable and take that first step toward attacking that fear.
This could be having that hard conversation with a loved one about your dream, sharing your work on social media for the first time, or signing up for that workout class. Whatever it is, take action and don't fall into the trap of tomorrow.
Don't go to your deathbed regretting the action you never took. You deserve to be happy.
Shownotes
Lewis Howes Summit of Greatness 2019
The Top Five Regrets of the Dying: A Life Transformed by the Dearly Departing by Bonnie Ware
Previous episode references on overcoming fear
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CREDITS
Music - Blookah
Executive Assistant - Paige Garland
Photo & Video Specialist - Colton Bachar
Social Media Coordinator - Hannah Schick
Animation Specialist - Greg D'Amico