How Fear, inadequacy, and shame can lead us where we truly need to go.

Jan 8

"For me, fear, inadequacy, and shame are the ultimate challenges;

they are invitations to lean in, to get closer, and to practice being

comfortable in the uncomfortable."

- Justin Baldoni (Man Enough)

Our mind has a reflexive need to run away from what it deems unsafe. To not move towards the source of our fear but somewhat away from it. It's a system built to guard us against physical harm, but in the modern world, it more often than not does this for what affects our mind.

Because let's face it! There are many things in the world around us that make us feel inadequate. It's these exact things that drag our confidence down as he decides to say something to a larger crowd, express what we think or face the reality of our existence through being open about it.

And so, as we let fear guide us away from the source of this feeling, what we are in effect doing is letting fear reside in our minds in the form of imposter syndrome, inadequacy, shame and the rest of this merry bunch. Because you can't walk away from negative thoughts.. you face them.

As Simon Sinek said in one of his talks, " Our mind is incapable of thinking in the negative". We can't tell our minds "not to think" about something. Because saying that sentence makes it think about it. But if you choose to face your fear, your sense of shame or inadequacy, that feeling that's making you move away from an action you know you need to do, then you are just feeding it. So, don't walk away from it.. lean into it. It's this flip that allows you, over time to use these very negative feelings to create the positive in your life.

Weekly Recommendations

This weeks recommendations are an interesting set. First is a fascinating look at what’s happening in Cyprus through the eyes of the amazing Johnny Harris. Then a compilation of conversations with writers on “the daily stoic podcast” and closing with a focus on Grit on “ A slight change of plans with Maya Shankar”