Should we be Fearless?

Some motivational speakers talk about being fearless. How we need to be without fear in order to succeed. We hear the rah rah of the presentation and become convinced that all we have to do is be unafraid and we will master the world.

Well, I have a great deal of respect for fear. I don’t love it, but I can absolutely understand its value. I see no great virtue in being fearless because to me it means not truly understanding danger, and if we do not understand the peril that we are facing, we cannot fight it effectively.

To me being fearless is being foolish. Would you not be afraid of a roaring lion blocking your path? Would you not be scared silly if you had to enter a burning building? Of course you would! Fear is a very valuable emotion. It is built into our very being for the simple reason that we need it in our lives. Without it we would not survive very long.

But the fact that it is such a useful feeling doesn’t mean that we always have to give in to it. Fear is valuable because it makes us stop and think. Sometimes there isn’t a whole lot to think about. If we see a boulder coming straight at us, it is time to get out of the way. But when we let irrational fear take over our lives, then we waste energy and opportunity.

Sometimes fear is so strong that we feel totally helpless. We become paralyzed by it, and we allow it to control our thinking and our actions. When we feel this way, the best thing to do is to put one foot in front of the other and start moving. I am not writing figuratively here, I really mean this. There have been times in my life that I have been paralyzed by fear. It is almost as if I am under a spell of dread and I cannot move. The way I have broken that spell is by the simple act of taking a step forward. Just one little step; that is all it takes to shatter that nasty hex. Once I am released I can evaluate the situation from all angles.

Lets think clearly about the problem, can the obstacles be overcome? How would we do that? Is it prudent? Is it a risk that is well worth taking? Or is the boulder about to crush us? Life is full of risk. Getting out of bed in the morning is already a risk. But some risks are well worth taking, while others are pure disaster. Properly managed fear, and not the lack of fear, is the key to conquering our world.