Fear and missed opportunity

How many times have you found yourself looking back on opportunities you know you should have gone for but didn't?

Can you remember why you didn't go for it?

I know for me, and I'm sure you have been in a similar position, the reason I didn't go for certain opportunities was fear. I was scared of sticking my neck out and going for it, instead, I made excuses. Excuses like I'm too tired, I don't have enough time, I don't have enough money, or I've already got too many other things on.

My Ego found it was far easier to make an excuse than it was to face the pain it imagined would be experienced in doing whatever it took, hard work, late nights and then there was the fear of putting all the work in but not achieving the dream after all…..aka fear of failure, a close relative to the belief of being unworthy and inadequate!

I could take, and have taken, a much more compassionate approach by saying I just didn't believe in myself to make it happen, I didn't believe that it was even possible, deeper yet, I now know I didn't feel I deserved it or was worthy of it.

There was, in my mind, always more work to do, more to learn before I was 'ready' to receive what it was that I most wanted in life.

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While the lack of belief and being fearful to take the required 'leaps of faith' was all true for me, and it may well be for you also, the fact remains, these are also just workings of the Ego and we either buy into them, as we tend do, or we can acknowledge them and keep walking right on by to what it is we set our sights on.

Our brains/our minds are so hard wired for self-preservation and survival, that any sense of uncertainty created by even a thought of venturing into the unfamiliar, can trigger a stream of excuses designed to keep us in our comfort/safety zone….and your ego is nothing short of a professional at it (mine included!)

But excuses are simply your minds way/your Ego's way of rationalising why you shouldn't follow through with what you're contemplating.

There's no real basis for concern or any reason why you shouldn't go ahead with it (unless it is genuinely an unhealthy or dangerous choice) but your mind/your Ego is simply doing its job, being vigilant to any risks that could bring any harm or pain. The stronger the rationalisations are, the bigger the pain or discomfort you're Ego thinks you need to avoid!