Are your fears holding you back from pursuing work you love and are passionate about? Find out how to overcome fear to change your life.
Learn to Pursue Your Passions by Overcoming Your Fears
Last week we took a look at loving what you do for a living as a means to getting rich. Unless you’re passionate about what you do, it is very difficult to find success or personal happiness. When you are not thrilled with your work, what are you doing unconsciously? Looking for a way out, yes or no? You’re always thinking “If there was something else …” You’re constantly searching.
Imagine driving on a highway. You’re looking for your exit. What lane would you drive in? The slow lane because you don’t want to miss the exit. If you weren’t looking for an exit, you’d be flying down the fast lane. Unconsciously, you wouldn’t even realize you were doing it unless you saw a cop or traffic jam. But, when you’re in that mode of looking for a way out, you never fully commit. You never get any momentum.
When you’re engaged in what you love to do, it’s like driving in the fast lane. Time flies by and more roads open up to you, alternate routes you may not have even known existed.
So, why don’t we all do what we love? You’d think it’d be natural choice, right? Natural talents are gifts from the universe or from whatever you want to call your creator. You can refine your talent, but it’s something that makes people say, “You’re a natural at that!”
How Fear and Obligation Hold Us Back
The reason a lot of people don’t find or create work that they love is fear, of course. It could be fear of failure, fear of the unknown, fear of change, fear of rejection, fear of looking foolish, or fear of disapproval. Whatever the case, it’s a story you make up about what might happen or what could be in the future.
In conjunction with fear is obligation. We all have obligations to memories of the past, obligations to other people, obligations to the freaking mortgage! If your mortgage is hampering your life, which one do you want to release? You’d think the logical answer is the mortgage, but guess which one most people release? They release their lives. Isn’t that wicked?
Whatever obligation it is, it’s nothing more than a fear that ‘If I don’t do this, something bad will happen to me.’ Obligation is a ‘should’. It’s a ‘have to’. It’s an opinion, though, and every one of those obligations is made up. You made the obligation up. It’s not true that you have to or that you should. It’s your opinion based on interpretations that you made about who you are, who others are to you, what’s important, or what’s not.
It’s time to forget the obligations. If they are not supporting you or propelling you toward work that you love, give them up. Don’t wait! Life is too short to work at something you really don’t love or have a passion for. When you do find work you’re passionate about, you will promote it like crazy. That’s how you’ll know it’s work that you love. Before you know it, you’ll be flying down the fast lane without looking for an exit. Do what you love and the money will come. You have to learn how to overcome fear and to trust yourself.
Your turn! Now we want to hear from you! What are some ways that you balance responsibility to others, like taking care of the family, for example, with responsibility to your own passions? What are some resources that we all have that can help us learn how to overcome fear and move past obligations?
Ha that’s a tough one for me. We moved to France, from the Uk, so that i could follow my passion, making shamanic drums. But then my partner had a huge stroke, and now i am taking care for him as well, would not want it to be diffferent! But it puts a strain on my work, my passion, and although the creativity is still flowing, there are just not always enough hours in a day. But Harv, you are a great inspiration for me, love your webinars and blogs, the inner power course is great! So many of your lessons have got me back to working and creation! But the balance is not just right yet, but i keep on working on it and positive.
So true! Fears and obligations shape our lives most of the times. Thank you so much for revealing all these aspects we all know but don’t want to accept!!
Hi Harv,
Thanks for your highly interesting articles, videos and webinars. which bring me a lot of inspiration and improvements.
Months ago, i did not feel any passions in me, as i quickly decided to quit my Parisian partly unsuccessful life, ex girlfriend, friends, bad relationship, for south west France near the ocean and Spain, 800/1.000 km away from my family.
Despite substantial help of a few good friends , the move was not easy, from a big city to a bask village, mainly active in summer with regular trips to Paris to visit business relationship, friends and Reims, Champagne, to assist my old parents and visit my oldest brother.
After substantial work on myself for months with videos, articles, webinars i have now too many passions.
I need to cut some and focus on urgent matters to recover from bad habits or practices, negative relationships and experiences!
I am glad and thank you and other international popes of personal development and many others for your help and positive advice !
Life goes on and i am fully determined to recover from bad past negative experiences and relationship.
My priorities are now to clarify my main goals, with clear objectives and realistic steps to achieve theses:
money/work, health and sport, girlfriend, family.
And mainly focus on these objectives, postponing for a while ideas of writing books, creating websites with motivated young people on various subjects.
Yes, i have some fears of lack of success, failure, but i am determined to slow the pace and rebuild a reasonable and successful business on solid foundations in this difficult and fast changing world.
With all my talents, strengths, weaknesses and defects.
Whatever it takes or costs, let’s progress together!
Best regards.
Francis
It is so true how obligations often stop us in our tracks, even if the track was going the way we wanted to. As a young mother I feel the pull of obligation every day. I have this young human who is so dependent upon me. Now of course I love raising him but I also gave myself fully to that for the first year of his life. And I found myself sullen and pessimistic about so much. And feeling so isolated. But one of my good friends who also has young children told me to step back and ask what I want in life. And find a way to make both work. My son won’t be little forever, and believe me he’s already becoming independent. And I cherish my time with him. But now I realize that I need to follow my passion as well, not only for my happiness and sanity but also so that I can be the best Mommy for him, one who is happy and full of life.
first of all i don’t even know what i’m passionate about but i’m hopeful i will find it. my current job has its good sides and not so good sides but then i think i’m begining to realize doing what you;re passionate is the best form of investment but then i’m looking for it(my passion) and trying to balance family responsibility with the idea of going back to school or pursue some other passions.
i don’t even know if i understand myself.
It’s time to drop the hesitation and take off, ready Lift off! I have come to the decision that I need to focus on having my own business and rewarding myself for all my dedication and stick to it mentality. I am a giver and I need to focus on loving myself as I give to others the incredible attributes I have gained by having mentors like Harv and mastering the principles. I have so many assets and need to share with others to see them come into the same level of joy!