For as complex as humans are overall, sometimes our brains can be obnoxiously simple.

We experience all sorts of events, emotions, and physical sensations throughout our lives. But often our brain doesn’t differentiate these experience. In this case we’re talking fear. When we’re feeling fear our brain doesn’t know (or maybe doesn’t care) what the root of that fear is. It simply says “hey this is scary, get the fuck outta here!”

Why does it matter that we go deeper and understand what the fear is?

Because that fear is obviously telling us something, but if we run from everything that creates fear we might actually be running from good things too.

There 3 types of fear we’re looking at today:

• Real fear (a bear is chasing you)

• I don’t want to keep doing this fear (stuck in a shitty relationship)

• I want this so bad it scares me fear

The first one is pretty easy to sort out. See bear → move away quickly. Fear is doing its job.

The second is often messy. In bad relationships for example, when big emotions are involved, and joint back accounts and mortgages complicate things we sometimes ignore the fear. Or try to change the situation without running away. If we don’t look at the facts behind the emotions we can cause ourself more hurt by not getting out. In the case of a terrible job we may feel trapped between the fears of staying vs finding another job that pays this good.

Then there’s wanting something so bad it’s scary. Our brain only is tracking that fear emotion. It’s doing its job by trying to keep us from going towards the thing.

If you don’t get logical, step outside of the fear, and get honest about what you’re feeling you might miss out. What’s the saying “Feel the fear, and do it anyways”?

When you feel that pit in your gut, and the cold sweat washes over you it’s time to assess; is there a bear chasing you? Is it time to make some hard changes? Or is it time to go all in?