These two aspects are often seen as opposite, but is that really the case? YouTube is my main source of inspiration and I listen to important people in this world talking about these two aspects because they are often asked to. What I’ve noticed is that most people tend to see fear and bravery as two separate things when actually the latter involves the first. There is no bravery without fear just as there is satisfaction without challenge.
Most of the time people tend to see fear as a blocker (which it actually is) and bravery or courage as something completely different. Actually, bravery or courage is the quality that helps someone behave in spite of fear. Think about this for a second. When you do random sh*t like eating or taking a piss you probably feel no emotion, but when you feel fear, you feel a strong emotion. A brave person is someone that overcomes the fear he/she has. That’s it. It doesn’t involve the lack of fear, just the will and ability to overcome it.
The thing is that we all have the ability to overcome our fears, but only a few of us have the will to overcome it and that’s because we lack proper motivation. Our reason is not strong enough; therefore fear can do whatever it wants with us. We become the b*tch of our own fear. Brave people have a proper motivation that helps them overcome their fears. It’s a simple as that.
Whenever you are afraid of something and you’re not willing to act in spite of fear, think about your motivation. If there is none, that’s probably the problem. Maybe the thing that causes your fear is not important enough (it’s just a way to get you out of your comfort zone) and that’s why you lack motivation to overcome it. Or maybe deep down you have a self-esteem issue and you don’t thin you deserve whatever causes your fear and that stops you from becoming brave. Maybe it is important enough, but you don’t believe in you. Whatever the reason is, some introspection and self-knowledge are required.
My conclusion is this: whenever you feel fear crawling up your butt, try to understand why it is there and how important it is for you the reason behind that fear. Sometimes it’s not that important and it’s all just a sign that you’re out of your comfort zone. Sometimes anxiety is interpreted as fear. Only you can answer that question, but to answer it, you need to ask it first, so:
The last time you were afraid of something, how important was that reason for you?