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Fear Not the Absence of Fear

© Deborah Lapoint

Have you discovered what kind of work lights a fire in your heart and makes your mind thrill with unending possiblilties?

There is a secret to realizing your dreams - in work or in the whole of your life. It's a deep, wise, age-old secret. It's about fear.

Ponder this thought:

"Fear not the absence of fear."

For many of us, certain fears grip us and hold us immobilized, stuck in an unsatisfying career. What fears have held you back in reaching your career goals?

What great things could you do if you could let go of
the fear of trying something new,
of appearing foolish,
of risking failure,
of letting down someone else who holds certain expectations for you,
of testing and stretching your abilities,
of the time, money or hard work involved,
of success and all that goes with it?

Here is a profound meditation to help us realize why each of us must pursue our dream:

"Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate.
Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure.
It is our light, not our darkness, that most frightens us.
We ask ourselves, who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous?
Actually, who are you NOT to be?
You are a child of God.
Your playing small does not serve the world.
There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you.
We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It is not just in some of us, it is in everyone.
And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same.
As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others."

~ Nelson Mandela ~

The first and bravest step along the journey to living our dreams - on the job and in life - is to recognize fear for the enemy it is. Fear not the absence of fear. You deserve to realize your dream.

See your fear clearly, and know it is powerless if you choose to walk through it to the other side. Fear is merely an illusion, an empty chimera.

But your dream . . . now there's something with power, ready to be infused with your life energy. Nourish that dream with diligence and practice, and protect it from the cold winds of fear. You are, truly, capable and worthy of living your dream.

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