I am blogging everyday (or nearly everyday) on The Daily Stoic.

Fear is a powerful motivator. It can be both good and bad. The stoic focuses on the bad side, paranoia. I grew up with a t-shirt company that said no fear. My mom wouldn’t let me get any of the shirts because she feared I’d be beat up at school. I eventually did get one and I am happy to report I didn’t get beat up. Fear has controlled me in other avenues. I’ve missed out on opportunities because I let fear overcome me. I went out for a soccer team once in Minnesota. On the first day of tryouts I backed out after the first person showed up. I was afraid of not making the team or more importantly having people hate me. I later got to know some of the people on the team and learned they were hurting for players. It was too late in the season to join.

Since that time I’ve read one of the most important books in my life. Feel the Fear and Do It Anyway by Dr. Susan Jeffers. The book changed my thinking about letting fear control me. I learned to accept it and head into situations with that fear. Often times those situations work out to be positive experiences and opportunities.