Hidden Weight of Fear

How much does fear weigh?

I asked this question during a conference speech a few years ago which opened up an interesting dialogue among the participants. 

Fear is tricky because you can’t directly see it. You can’t take the fear and weigh it on a traditional scale, but you can certainly feel it. There is a tangible weight from fear that can be felt.

The presence of fear can be compared to the power of the wind. You can’t touch the wind or grab it by the collar. In the same way, you can’t directly touch fear. However, like wind, you can sense its presence and observe the impact all around you.

Let me present a visual illustration to bring the point home. Imagine Usain Bolt steps up to the starting blocks looking to claim that next Olympic medal. He’s got the right color suit on, the right mindset, the right 1,000-watt smile. 

But wait… what is that in his hands?

Kettlebells? What is he thinking? There is NO way he can perform at a high level holding his kettlebells.

We, you, me, are the equivalent of Usain Bolt holding kettlebells when we attempt to reach high performance but REFUSE to deal with the kettlebells of fear we hold onto like a familiar blanket. 

Once you learn to identify the presence of fear, you can being to go on the offensive and neutralize its impact.

“Each of us must confront our own fears, must come face to face with them. How we handle our fears will determine where we go with the rest of our lives.”

- Judy Blume

Let me know your thoughts in the comments!

-Josh

Dream big. Live aligned!