Over the past several days I've seen several posts on my social media feed about fear. What it is, if it's good or bad, if it's necessary, and several other view points. It got me thinking about the many people throughout my life (including myself at one time) that have caved in to this thing.

It's my belief that everything we think, whether good or bad, is completely based off of what we've been taught - whether through our senses, experiences, or directly from those around us while growing up.  All these things together, form how you view the world and everything in it.

Whether you like it or not, there is a reason you like Coca Cola over Pepsi, or why you think one political party is better than another, or why you think the world is one big giant cluster mess. There's also a reason why you're caving into fear, and not going after what you want.

We've all been conditioned, via the things I mentioned above.  But, if this conditioning is not allowing you to have the life you want, the good news is, you can change it.  You do NOT have to stay stuck in a rut, or routine, that is slowly killing you from the inside out.

Of course, changing this is not an overnight process - afterall, we are talking years and years of thinking the way you have.  But the thing is to simply start.  You can do that by immediately forcing yourself to start thinking in a way opposite of what hasn't been serving you best, AND by just taking action.

I can't even imagine what my life would be like right now, had I never gone up to my wife when I first saw her.  Was it worth the risk of being turned down, feeling rejected, and embarrassed in public? One thousand times YES it was worth it.

When I set out to start my first business, of course I was scared, and it didn't pan out quite the way I wanted it to.  Regardless of the outcome, I learned so much - an asset towards the next business I started.  Though it was a learning experience, as opposed to a grand slam (we never lose), the next time I went for what I wanted I was a little more confident.

If you break it down to total basics, I feel like it really makes so much sense, and when something makes sense, it's less frustrating and scary.  It's scary the first time you try anything that you are unsure of, but how could you ever succeed at anything if you don't try it a couple times in the first place? Think learning how to ride a bike, or swimming, or a sport that you are now good at.  Imagine if you never kept getting up as a toddler when you were learning how to walk.

My wife and I had never been water skiing before, but we tried it out one summer.  It took me three tries to steady myself and even then, I was only up for about a minute.  She wobbled the first few seconds, but then got it on her first try. That's how it is with anything.  Some will have to learn and adapt a bit over time, and some will soar immediately.  Either way, you can't accomplish the task or goal with out hushing that inner fear to try.

The point is, the more we attempt something, the better we will be at it.  Remember, we don't lose. We only win or learn. When you realize that those really are your only two choices when it comes to anything you want, your confidence shoots up, and the possibilities you can attain are endless.

What are you scared of? Go for it.