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.
Stacy Brown
I’d say imposter syndrome as an entrepreneur. Being afraid to be seen trying in a space with other experts and industry leaders. The constant feeling that I was somehow faking it, that I hadn’t “earned” my seat at the table. But what I’ve learned is that fear loses its power when you move anyway. Read more>>
Anna Mendelson
The fear of doing things differently from the “standard path” held me back for a long time. I used to worry that if I didn’t follow the traditional route — like staying in school for four years or aiming for a big corporate job — I’d fall behind. But over time, I’ve learned to trust my instincts and define success on my own terms. Read more>>
Juliette Langari
Impostor syndrome, for sure. Especially coming from an engineering background, I always felt like I wasn’t ‘creative enough’ to belong in this world. Everyone around me seemed to have this effortless artistic energy, and I was the one building spreadsheets for my content calendar. But honestly, I’ve learned that being a little different is my edge. Read more>>
elaine tsung
My biggest fear has always been losing everything — the stability, the progress, the sense of security I’ve worked so hard to build. It’s a fear that has both driven me and, at times, held me back. Learning to trust myself and rebuild from uncertainty has been one of the most powerful lessons in my journey. Read more>>
Sasha Vasquez
The fear that’s held me back the most has been worrying about what others think. As someone who’s struggled with anxiety, learning to trust myself was a huge turning point. Starting Mintii.co pushed me to move past self-doubt and believe in my own vision. It taught me that confidence isn’t about being fearless, it’s about showing up anyway and trusting that your voice matters. Read more>>
Laura H. Rubin
Probably the fear of wasting my time. Not the usual “fear of failure” or “not being good enough” (though those like to stop by, too). But the idea of spending months or years on something that doesn’t mean anything (to me or anyone else) used to totally paralyze me. It made me overthink every move. Triple-check every decision . Read more>>
Michelle Power
The fear that’s probably held me back the most in life is the fear of trust — not because I don’t want to trust people, but because I’ve seen how easily trust can be broken. When you’ve been hurt or disappointed enough times, you start to build quiet walls around the parts of you that feel most fragile. Read more>>
Taylor Menzies
The fear of judgment – which is kind of ironic since I literally share my life on the internet. I used to care way too much about what people might think, like, “what if this is cringe?” or “what if they make fun of me?” That mindset held me back from posting, trying new things, and taking risks in my career for a long time. Read more>>
Morgan Specht
Hands down, the fear of looking stupid. A lot of people say they’re afraid of failure, but I think what most of us are really afraid of is looking dumb or being judged. That’s definitely been true for me. As a kid, there were sports and activities I wanted to try but didn’t because I didn’t want to look silly doing something new. Read more>>
Jay Stargaaard, Divine Flame Alchemist
The fear that held me back the most was the belief that I would never be enough. That false story created all kinds of unhealthy experiences in my life. Through conscious awareness and self-inquiry, I came to understand that this fear isn’t unique. It’s a deeply ingrained societal program that so many of us carry, and it’s simply not true.Read more>>
