We wake up, get work, go back home and rinse and repeat – or at least it feels that way sometimes. In truth, there are a million moments in between where we interact with others and we can’t help but wonder what folks will think about us once we aren’t showing up, perhaps once we are gone. Some very thoughtful members of the community share their thoughts on this with us below.
Traci Terrick
I would say my fear to fail holds me back 70% of the time. It’s something I try to work on on a daily basis. I am constantly battling Imposter syndrome, both as a creative and as a female. Read More>>
Sarah Nikolovska
This is a very powerful question and probably one of the most challenging to answer honestly, to do so requires both vulnerability and deep self-awareness. You see fear takes many forms. For example, there are very clear and identifiable fears that arise in the face of a threat, like a barking dog or a speeding car. Read More>>
Owen Brown
Fear of forthrightness – standing up for what I believed, regardless the consequences. Sometimes I know I am right, but I say nothing, do nothing. Sometimes I know something is wrong, destructive, evil, yet I do nothing. The powerful live on the tears of the poor and what do I do? Evil triumphs if we do nothing. Read More>>
Diondria “Dria” Thornton
I had the biggest fear of the ocean. Because metaphorically I was scared of the unknown, the deepness, the fear of what was under me that I couldn’t see. That same thing showed up in my life and in how I looked at my music career. Fearing the unknown makes you afraid to follow the path laid out for you in your life journey. Read More>>
Jennifer Nowicki
For much of my life, imposter syndrome held me back. I often felt I wasn’t good enough or knowledgeable enough, always telling myself there was more to learn, so therefore, I must know nothing. That mindset is partly why I pursued certification as a tea specialist before ever opening Cultivate Taste Tea; I needed to ground myself in deep expertise. Read More>>
Krishana Johnson-James
I started learning to play the piano as a child. I loved the process of learning new songs, bit by bit, and enjoyed the journey of putting all the notes together to make beautiful music. At the same time, I was incredibly shy and nervous to play the piano in front of others. Read More>>
Zandra Baheyadeen
The fear that has held me back the most has been the fear of failure. When I first started ZanCan as an errand service 15 years ago, I questioned if I was enough or if people would even need what I offered. For a while, that fear kept me playing small. Read More>>
Lindy Elston
The fear of trying something new. It comes a lot easier to some, but I’d rather stick with what I’m familiar with and what I know works. But, if you look at my business over the last 4 years, there’s lot of new things that I’ve made. I would always be a little worried about bringing in a new jacket style. Read More>>
Zo Doe
The fear of failing always held me back the most. I was always judging somebody else success and comparing it to where I was in my career. I used to see everybody else hard work pay off and used that to say something isn’t meant for me. Until one day I realized that I can’t judge someone Chapter 32 by my chapter 2. Read More>>
Skye Halliday Wilson
Imposter syndrome or feeling as if I’m not qualified enough to be in a certain role or job is something that held me back. I always thought I’d be a good coach and trainer once I had enough certifications behind my name, or enough client testimonials, or the perfect physique to use as proof of my knowledge. Read More>>
Tina Pelkowski
Fear of failure. Fear of ‘all for nothing’. Fear of being invisible. Art, or creating, is a really vulnerable career. I’m an emotional person, always have been. My heart goes on the page every single time. Read More>>
Taneia Surles
Fear of the unknown. I’m someone who likes to plan everything and know what’s to come. As a business owner in an industry that has been significantly shaken up since the introduction of ChatGPT, clients aren’t coming in as frequently as they used to. Read More>>
taidyn
i have two: imperfection and failure. for years i was terrified of the numbers on my posts not matching the effort i put in. but working as a loan officer taught me it’s just numbers in, numbers out. If you keep showing up consistently, the numbers eventually even out. now i apply that philosophy to music and content. Read More>>
