The Mountain is Your Mind

For anyone who knows me, you know that I have an underdeveloped sense of fear. I don't get scared too easily. I'll stand on the edge of cliffs, have a burning desire to skydive, think grizzlies are cute and will say "yes" to basically anything. But, one thing that terrifies me is not achieving the goals I set out for myself. So, my daily act of conquering my comfort zone comes in the form of starting a business. Putting myself out there online and to companies in hopes that I can convey my value and skills and then turn that into a sustainable living.

For me, it's not a matter of if something scares me... instead it's a matter of saying "this scares me, so yes.”

"Do something everyday that scares you."

We've seen this quote everywhere. It's on bumper stickers, it's on t-shirts, heck it's even on lululemon shopping bags!

But what does that actually look like?

Doing something that scares you daily doesn't mean you have to go to the extreme. There's no need for you to trek into the woods and face off with a bear every day of your life.

Rather, it means still doing those small things that initially give you pause. Like reaching out to someone you've been avoiding, going on a group trip to a new country with a bunch of strangers (photo above), saying hi to the cute stranger at the cafe, signing up for a class, or going out for dinner alone.

But it can also mean doing those bigger things.

The mantra of "this scares me.. so, yes" is a way to cognitively override that initial gut feeling. Mind over matter so to speak.

It's not about eliminating that fear... it's about reframing it.