To this day I remember the first time I had to speak in large groups of people.
The nerves, the buildup of how “scary” it was going to be—it all really got in my head, to the point where I wanted to run out of the building.
But then the most amazing thing happened.
After I actually got on stage and started speaking, a few minutes in, I noticed that the nervousness had disappeared.
The same thing happened for me yesterday. Even though I’m used to speaking in front of cameras and crowds now, going on TV was a slightly different.
In that moment, I experienced this incredibly liberating epiphany:
We don’t have to be brave all the time to accomplish great things.
There are so many moments in life when we’re afraid of something big we want to do.
It might be that moment before you step on stage to speak to thousands of people for the first time, like it was for me.
It might be that moment before you strap on a parachute and jump out of an airplane.
It might be that moment before you walk away from a toxic relationship.
It’s the MOMENT OF DECISION.
Moments like those are when our fear and anxiety are at their highest…when the urge to flee back into our comfort zone hits its peak.
That means those moments are the ones where we need to be brave…not all the times in between.
If the thought of being great and accomplishing big things scares you—even when you know that seeing it through means you’ll become a bigger, better, wiser person—it helps to remember that it’s not about being brave all the time.
It’s about being brave for 20 seconds each day.
How do you overcome your fears and anxiety? Share your thoughts with me in the comment box below..
