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Welcome to My Musings, where I share insights that have impacted me, thoughts on personal growth, and actionable strategies to help you navigate career and life transitions.

Today:

1. Musing: Recognizing fear as the cue for action - not avoidance.

2. Quote: A thought from Nietszche on what it’s like to really take your own path.

3. Question: A question I have been grappling with lately.

You Have to Face the Fear to Reap the Rewards

The first time I gave a public talk (beyond my wedding speech, which bombed), I spoke about fear—specifically, the need to face it head-on.

Carl Jung said it best: “Where your fear is, there is your task.”

That line stuck with me. Over the years, I’ve done plenty of things that scared me—some understandable (skydiving), others less so (taking on higher-paying clients). But with each scary task came growth, as I learned to navigate fear differently.

The biggest fear I faced? Leaving my career as a lawyer. I had invested years of time, effort, and reputation into it. Walking away was terrifying.

But when I accepted that the season of my legal career had ended, I knew I had to enter a new, unknown phase—a leap into the abyss.

Defining where I wanted to go next was its own challenge. I knew how I wanted to feel but not exactly where I wanted to be or what I wanted to do. And that uncertainty created a ton of fear about the future.

As Norman Fischer writes, fear is almost always about the future. The past is done, the present is happening now—but the future? It’s uncertain, and that’s where fear thrives. Yet, deep down, I also knew that facing this fear would lead me to greater things.

The key takeaway: When I’m afraid of something, it’s often the exact thing I need to do. Fear is the task.

How to Face Your Fears

Here are a few strategies that have helped me confront what scares me and take action:

Shift Your Story: Craft your narrative. You’re writing your own story as you move through life. By reframing your challenges as opportunities, you create space for new possibilities.

Pay Close Attention: Facts are important, but emotions offer a different perspective. By noticing how you feel, you can gain deeper insight into what’s really going on and what changes you need to make.

Be Bold: Fear = Time + Overthinking. The more you think, the more fear grows. Take bold, decisive action. It’s the hardest step, but without action, we remain stuck—comfortable, perhaps, but stuck nonetheless.

A Thought from Nietzsche

“And those who were seen dancing were thought to be insane by those who could not hear the music.” – Friedrich Nietzsche

I love this quote because it speaks to the fear of being misunderstood. When we walk our own path, others might think we’re crazy. I know some people thought I was insane for leaving my legal career.

But the reality is, they aren’t living my life. They’re not tuned into my frequency.

What would be possible for you if you stopped worrying about others’ opinions?

Wrestling with Doubt

Despite my confidence in leaving law and pursuing new ventures, doubt still creeps in. I often ask, “Did I get it right?”

While there’s no clear answer, I’ve found a helpful question: What’s the worst that could happen if I take action?

When I approach decisions this way, as long as they align with my values and goals, I realize the worst-case scenario isn’t so bad. Maybe I’ll have to pivot again or even return to law. Not ideal, but far from the end of the world.

The lesson: Fear of failure often exaggerates the risks. Even if we fail, we’ll be bruised, but ultimately, we’ll be okay.

Ready to Go Deeper?

I work with people and teams to confidently meet change at work and in life; to foster cultures of mentorship; and, to hone and develop soft skills to create better leaders. Through that work, folks uncover their deeper purpose, navigate challenging transitions, and answer the call to vocation.

If you’d like to explore what’s coming up for you, get in touch.

I hope this week’s edition sparked some reflection. See you next week.