How to stop being afraid and start taking action

In Chinese metaphysics, there is an expression “knowledge controls the money.” It means that one spends all the time studying and not building one’s own income-generating business.

You have probably met people who, instead of using their knowledge, want to “learn a bit more.” They do so not because they lack the required competencies but because of self-doubt. They believe that some additional training will make them self-confident. But no. That doesn’t work.

Here’s another illusion: “I will undergo training and be able to avoid a bunch of rakes on the way.” It is possible. Suppose you are relying on a YouTube video tutorial to cook spaghetti bolognese. If you are building a business, that won’t go without a rake.

We are by no means against learning.

We are against turning learning into a sophisticated way of procrastinating.

If you’re scared to start something meaningful, that’s ok.

We, too, are scared in such situations.

Those who are not afraid are either lying or dead.

The truth is that everyone is afraid.

It’s just that those who achieve success are not led by their fear.

They get used to it, and their fear is no longer unbearable. These people don’t want to burrow into a hole.

How to understand what you are afraid of?

Ask yourself: If I do this and I fail, then what?

First, you’ll get relatively harmless explanations:

• I wasted my time.
• Ruined my reputation.
• I would feel like nothing.
• I would listen to my loved ones’ reproaches.
• I would be helpless.

What to do with this fear?

Please do not push it aside, and do not try to shift your attention to something else. Sit with your fear and listen to how it is felt in your body. It does not take a lot of time. Emotions last from 20 seconds to 2 minutes if you do not try to suppress them but let them be, merely observing them. They dissolve themselves.

What we fear throughout our whole lives usually never happens.

Mikhail Saidov recently wrote on his Twitter:

“Today is the tomorrow that you worried about yesterday.”

And it is true. Use it as your shield