A common topic mentioned in my sessions with clients is fear. Fear of saying something to a loved one who hurt them, fear of failure, fear of retaliation if you were to voice an injustice you noticed or fear of judgment. Fear has an odd power over us if we allow it to.

Fear can make us feel isolated, constantly in a state of injury, or misunderstood.

It is a feeling we give more power to each day if we do not confront it in full knowledge, and usually with hesitant acceptance of the consequences that may come. However, confronting fear eventually requires us to learn to be comfortable with the discomfort that it ultimately brings us.

In a Ted Talk by Luuvie Ajayi, she emphasizes the power that we are capable of having over our fears and how to face them. She shares personal examples of facing fear and how it has impacted her and others around her.

Giving fear full power prevents us from achieving the things that we desire.

Ms. Ajayi talks about challenging ourselves on purpose in the face of fear, because in order to grow and make this world better than the way we found it will require us to learn to become comfortable with fear. Learning to become comfortable with discomfort is not a topic generally discussed in everyday conversations.

Fear causes us to either freeze, flee, or fight. While these actions can be protective in many scenarios, it can also prevent us from moving forward, learning, and growing to be who we are capable of being.

Make sure you check out this important TED Talk to see how you can become a bit more comfortable with fear and learn about how it can shape your world and the world around you.

Jasmine Tyson