Hey there. Have you ever stopped yourself from doing something you really wanted to do because you were afraid of failing? Maybe you hesitated because you didn’t know the “right” way to do it, or you worried about looking foolish in front of others. If that sounds familiar, you’re not alone.
For a long time, I lived with this fear. I had ideas, interests, and things I wanted to explore, but I wasn’t taking action because I was too caught up in what could go wrong. There was the life I wanted to live and then there was the life I was actually living, full of hesitation and second-guessing.
But here’s the thing: you figure out your way along the way. There’s no universal blueprint for how your life is supposed to unfold. The path you take is going to look different from anyone else’s, and that’s exactly how it should be.
Nobody’s Really Watching You
One of the biggest fears that hold people back is the idea that others are watching and waiting for them to fail. But the truth? People aren’t paying as much attention as you think. And if someone is watching and rooting for you to fail, that says a lot more about them than it does about you.
You’re not here to live your life according to someone else’s standards. Maybe there’s a specific voice in your head. Someone from your past who made you feel like you couldn’t do things your way. A parent, a teacher, a peer… someone who planted the idea that failure was something to avoid at all costs.
But before that, before those voices, you didn’t have fear. You had curiosity. You wanted to explore, learn, and create just because it made you happy. That part of you is still there.
Reconnecting with Creativity
One of the ways I’ve found to reconnect with that fearless curiosity is through creative pursuits. Creativity isn’t just about making art, it’s about allowing yourself to explore without judgment.
When you practice something creative, even for just five minutes a day, you tap into the part of yourself that existed before fear took hold. Maybe it’s drawing, writing, music, or even something as simple as collecting things that make you happy.
For me, it was sports cards. I loved collecting them as a kid, but like many childhood interests, I left them behind as I got older. At some point, I thought I was too cool for it. But years later, I found myself going through my old collection, and I realized how much joy it still brought me. It reminded me of a time when I didn’t overthink things—I just enjoyed them.
The same goes for any creative pursuit. If you used to love sketching but stopped because someone told you you weren’t good enough, I want you to pick up that pencil again. Your creativity doesn’t have to be conventional. In fact, the more unconventional, the better.
Your Perspective is Valuable
The more you allow yourself to explore and create, the more you start to see things differently. You develop your own way of approaching problems, your own solutions, and your own voice.
And that perspective, the way you see the world—is valuable. It might be exactly what’s needed to solve a problem, improve a process, or simply bring joy to your life and the lives of others. But you won’t know until you allow yourself to be you.
You were always meant to do things your way. That’s what makes your life yours. Yes, responsibilities exist. You can’t just drop everything and ignore reality. But you can start making small choices every day that align with who you are and what you truly want.
No One Wants to Live with Regret
At the end of the day, nobody wants to look back and regret not living the life they wanted. If you’re constantly holding yourself back out of fear, ask yourself—what’s the worst that could happen? And is that really worse than a lifetime of wondering what if?
You’re capable of more than you realize. And I believe that, eventually, you’re going to trust yourself, connect with yourself, and move forward in a way that’s completely your own.
If you’re ready to start taking action and building a life that’s true to you, I’d love for you to join The YLF Experience. It’s designed to help you work through this inside/out approach at your own pace and build real confidence in your ability to navigate life on your terms.