What Is On The Other Side Of Fear?

Past Potential with Khoi

While I was at the beach a few summers ago, I was able to observe my little nephew (he's 6 now) and his interactions on the beach. The little guy was completely terrified of the waves. He squeezed tightly around my neck as I inched closer to the water to put him down. And when I did manage to get him on the sand, he would run in the opposite direction in sheer horror. Poor kid. To him, crashing waves are scary. He feared the thunderous sounds and massive wall of rushing water. Adults know there's no real danger, but the baby doesn't know that. So what I'm getting at here is how can adults apply a baby's completely rational fear of the ocean to their own situations? Take the leap. What scares you? Do you have a burning desire to start a new venture or create something special? To pursue your passions and find your purpose? But the fear of critique or the unknown prevents you from taking actionable steps to get there? You're not alone. In an interview on the Tim Ferriss Show (podcast), actor, musician and comedian, Jamie Foxx asked the question, "what's on the other side of fear?" His answer? "Nothing." "Either you do or you don't, but there's no penalty," there's no reward. It's just be yourself... People are nervous for no reason. No one's going to come out and slap you or beat you up. You're just nervous." –Jamie Foxx He used the question about fear to teach his kids to have confidence. Foxx learned this himself when he decided to pursue comedy shortly after graduating. It was at an open mic that he realized the root of his fear was that people would think he wasn't funny. He told himself that it wasn't worth being afraid of. Ultimately, his leap into comedy, despite a classical music background, propelled his massively successful career in the entertainment industry. It's so imperative to take the leap. Because in the end, it's not as scary as you think. And the people who care will be there to help support you if you happen to fall. By the end of the day, my little nephew wasn't afraid of the waves anymore. I guess all it takes is a few hits to the chin to realize that things are never as bad as we imagine.