Do It

By: Gabriela Yareliz

“If you are scared of it, it controls you.” Dr. John Delony 

Yesterday, someone started a conversation with me like this, “Not to be an alarmist but…” The whole conversation was rooted in fear and panic. I watched this person sort of stunned at the level of panic. People are so afraid they can’t even see their fear in plain sight.

Fear is a powerful thing. They say it’s responsible for a lot of the reprehensible acts and behavior and how we treat each other nowadays. Our tribalism, our refusal to allow people different opinions without strong judgment— all of it is some weird cocktail of fear and pride.

Fear can be useful for a real threat, but it’s only useful if we are discerning with it, and it spurs us to action. It impairs us otherwise. It can have us miss out on things; it paralyzes us; it controls us.

How do we use fear in the right way? I think Dr. John Delony nails it in the post/quote below:

Fear should spur us to action. I heard somewhere that the greatest investment is simply doing something. Action. That is why the Nike slogan is one of the most powerful of all time— “Just do it.” Mel Robbins says the word “Just” adds a relatable humanity to the slogan. We all face fear and resistance, but what leads to greatness is the action taken after the emotional is felt.

Don’t live panicked. Live free. (Just) do it.

“Those who do not move do not notice their chains.” Rosa Luxemburg