I am just loving the weekly emails I receive from Tara Sophia Mohr! I became interested in her workbook “10 Rules for Brilliant Women” from seeing her interview on the Today Show. Each week she brings me more confidence to tackle whatever I’m dealing with at that time…lately it’s been related to my photography business more than anything but also has a lot of general life lessons. I’m happy to share 🙂

Here is an exert from her newsletter that goes along with her “10 Rules for Brilliant Women”. It really gets me thinking!

1. Fear shows up in a million ways.
Fear doesn’t usually show up and say “Hi, I’m fear.” It shows up as seemingly well-reasoned beliefs and arguments. It also shows up as procrastination, avoidance, ambivalence. One of the most important things we need to do – if we want to speak up, share our voices – is to get very skilled at recognizing fear when it shows up. We can then use tools like these to help keep fear out of the driver’s seat of our lives.

2. Fear lies.
It just makes stuff up. Whatever fear is saying to you: it will seem true. It will seem true that you aren’t ready to give the presentation. To put up the art show. To launch the jewelry line.The best we can do is remember: “the things fear and my inner critic say are false” and to discern: could this just be fear talking?

3. You can be very afraid, and do just fine.
Many people have commented to me that my interview on the show seemed “natural,” “poised,” “calm.” Fabulous! But I was nervous, right up to the segment and through the segment. You can be very, very, very, nervous about something – freaked out with fear, really – and do just fine. You can even do marvelously.

4. What defines our lives is not finding a way to live without fear, but rather, our capacity to keep on stepping forward, even when we are afraid.
Sometimes, I think that when I get really worked up in fear about something, it means that the thing itself is not a great fit for me. But the opposite is often true: I get all wound up in fear about the things I am most passionate about, the opportunities that are best aligned with who I really am.

Whatever playing bigger looks like for you: Take a look at your list of reasons you aren’t doing it. Are they real, or are they fear showing up in creative costuming?

Remember, remember, remember: what fear says is often just not true.

Can you keep moving forward, in spite of feeling very afraid?

Love,

Tara