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Writer's pictureKaren Weiss

Flip the Switch

How many of you have friends who have been talking about writing a book for ten years but haven’t started it or have a friend who has wanted to travel to far-flung locations but keeps putting it off? There always seems to be an excuse. Sometimes the idea of a thing, like writing a book or taking an exotic vacation, is what we’re holding on to.


The thing (being an author or travel) is a possibility, so it feels like we have options. We think the thing gives us hope or helps us feel less trapped or gives us a different (false) perception of who we are. In reality, all we’re doing when we repeatedly talk about possibilities is playing make-believe. We can’t live in Make-Believe Land.


As leaders, we’re used to acting in spite of fear, but sometimes a new idea or opportunity seems so complex or intimidating that we let it sit on the shelf for a while. A commonly used definition of courage is “feeling the fear and doing it anyway.” When we talk about something for a while without doing it, there’s a high probability that fear has taken over the driver’s seat. What if a switch could be flipped and we take action on that thing we’ve been talking about that seems too big? What if we had the courage and confidence to make it happen?


It’s in these moments where approaching fear with curiosity is extremely helpful and can flip the switch. Asking ourselves questions like

  • What is this fear telling me?

  • What is at stake that might be holding me back?

  • How badly do I want this to happen?

  • Am I willing to risk ______________ (failure, financial loss, my team being upset with me, etc) to try this new thing?

Don't be afraid to get after it and try!

Stay curious friends!


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