What fears have you overcome and how?
What Fears Have You Overcome and How?
I’ve overcome quite a few fears.
Well… “overcome” might be a strong word.
Let’s say we’ve signed a peace treaty and occasionally exchange awkward nods.
The biggest one?
The Fear of Not Being Enough
Not smart enough.
Not successful enough.
Not pretty enough.
Not productive enough.
At one point, I was collecting “not enoughs” the way some people collect souvenirs.
The Fear of Being Judged
I used to think everyone was watching my every move.
Turns out, most people are busy wondering if they’re being judged.
A surprisingly humbling discovery.
And let’s not forget the fear of failure.
The funny thing about failure is that it spends years terrifying you, then finally shows up and says,
“That’s it? You were afraid of me?”
Most of the disasters I imagined never happened.
The ones that did happen taught me something useful.
Rude, but useful.
I also feared speaking my mind.
So I stayed quiet.
Nodded politely.
Rehearsed arguments in the shower three days after the conversation ended.
You know, the usual.
Over time, I learned that being misunderstood is uncomfortable, but losing yourself to keep everyone comfortable is worse.
The fears didn’t disappear.
They just got tired of running the show.
And I got tired of giving them front-row seats.
Making Peace With Fear
Now when fear knocks on the door, I let it in, offer it tea, listen politely, and then continue doing what I was going to do anyway.
Because courage isn’t the absence of fear.
It’s realizing that fear is a terrible life coach.
And honestly?
The fear I’ve truly overcome is the fear of being imperfect.
These days, I’m less interested in being enough for everyone and more interested in being myself.
It’s cheaper, less exhausting, and requires significantly fewer existential crises.
That’s growth.
Or at least that’s what I’m telling myself. 🙂
—Rajeshwari 🧿💕
© Nihshabd by Rajeshwari. All Rights Reserved
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