I don’t think it’s a good idea to be fearless, which was actually last week’s Wednesday Word, but apparently I can’t put posts on my calendar on the right days. You can read my thoughts on dilemma here.
Fear exists for a reason — to protect us. If we have no fear, we’d cross a street against the traffic lights or just wander in streets at will, put our hand on a hot burner, jump off a building because everyone else was doing it — you get the idea!
So I think we can all agree being fearless is not such a good thing.
Courage is not the absence of fear, it’s overcoming it.
–Natalie Dormer
Being fearful, on the other hand — no, that’s not a good thing, either.
Giving into our fears is just as bad as ignoring our fears. It holds us back from trying new things, from meeting new people, from leaving our house, from doing things alone — being fearful is stressful and it sucks all the fun out of life.
I am not fearless.I get scared plenty. But I have also learned how to channel that emotion to sharpen me.
–Bear Grylls
No, I am definitely not fearless. Sometimes fear does hold me back from things, but I also work to overcome fears:
- Fear of being injured if I run too hard or too far
- Fear of meeting new people
- Fear of asking for help
- Fear of looking foolish
If I gave into my fears, or the people in my life that have expressed fears/concerns, I never would have:
- Started my own business
- Started running
- Ran that first race
- Ran that first half marathon
- Stayed with my boyfriend after graduating college (now my husband of 30+ years)
- Moved to 4 different cities where I/we knew no one
Fearless isn’t good, but neither is being fearful. The sweet spot is getting out of our comfort zone while still listening to that little voice inside us.
What fears have you overcome?
What you accomplished despite your fears?
Chocolaterunsjudy 
Those are great thoughts on the balance between respecting and listening to fears (intuition) versus being fearful. I’m glad you came back and revisited it!
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I actually just messed up my dates!
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Fear of what others think of me is a continuing one. I ran a marathon despite my fears.
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I used to be quite fearful but running has changed all that for me! Thankful.
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I think I have overcome many fears:
divorce, living n my own, another college degree later in life, new career, new husband, raising stepkids, learning tennis, playing on a tennis team, starting to run, running a 5k, running a half marathon, running with a group.
I do think running has made me even more confident although as a rule, I am not a very fearful person (except of snakes, bats, roller coasters…)
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I think everyone has their own fears. Small snakes don’t bother me & bats don’t either-although I wouldn’t want a bat in the house (I’ve had snakes in the house).
Running helps with almost everything!
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I think it’s super important to step out of your comfort zone… it makes one feel alive and accomplished! Even with baby steps!! 😀
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I really like your take on this. I think fear is just warning us that we need to be cautious about what we are doing. And that’s okay. I definitely give my decisions much thought. But then again I rarely do things on the fly so I”m not the best person to talk about being fearless…haha
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I’m very similar, although I can be occasionally impulsive.
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I am always fearful when I changed jobs but it has always worked out for the best.
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I’m always fearful when doing something new – I think most people are!
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I kind of embrace a little bit of fear…..being fearful keeps me focused on safety, the finish line, and ignoring distractions. That said, I like a little bit of fear, not a lot of it…I still want to let loose and laugh along the way as well 😉
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Not easy for me to comment on some sites right Noel, but if money were no option I’d totally hire a coach.
And if I were certain my body would stand up to 26.2 I’d at least try it.
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Nice post!
I like how you balanced fearless/fearful.
I am fearful of meeting new people (at 1st)
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It’s all about balance, right? Thanks for linking up!
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I really like this post. I was having a not so great day today with anxiety, and referred back to this post on your blog. That sweet spot of fearless and fearful is so true. I fight against my fears, and I never thought of myself a courageous. But I think all of us runners are in our own way. If we didn’t have courage, we would never have ran that first 5k/10k/half marathon/marathon race.
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I’m glad the post was helpful to you!
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