{"version":1,"type":"rich","provider_name":"Libsyn","provider_url":"https:\/\/www.libsyn.com","height":90,"width":600,"title":"Fear, cont.","description":"Universal Truths about Fear ----- I hadn\u2019t expected the reaction to last week\u2019s commentary on fear and sloth. The podcast version was forwarded more than most and the social media got a lots of attention and forwards, too. Most of those commenting were like me \u2013 sloth is not such a problem. Fear is the problem. A friend pointed me to a book that, he says, changed his life. It\u2019s called Feel the Fear and Do It Anyway by Susan Jeffers and was first published in 1987. It\u2019s sold millions and has been translated into 35 different languages. Fear is a big seller because it\u2019s a common problem. I downloaded it to my Audible account and there it sat before I decided to finally listen. Frankly, I was skeptical. I find most of these types of books thin on content, and I should know because I\u2019ve written a few. But if it changed my friend\u2019s life then maybe some relic of this dated message will resonate with me. So this morning, sitting with a coffee in my hotel room well before dawn with the curtain open to watch the sunrise, I hit play to listen to the book. I\u2019m only on Chapter 3 and can honestly say I have taken a whole new and different approach to this persistent nemesis of mine called fear. So far, book is working. There are many highlights already, but this stood out: Jeffers says there are five universal truths about fear, and we should repeat them ten times a day for a month or more. That\u2019s a bit much, but I will print them and pin the to the wall near my desk. First, fear will never go away as long as we continue to grow. Fear\u2019s a consequence of growth and growth does not happen without fear accompanying it. Second, the only way to get rid of the fear of doing something is simply go out and do it. Third, the only way to feel better about myself is to go out and do that which I fear. Fourth, not only am I going to experience fear whenever I\u2019m on unfamiliar territory, but so is everyone else. You and I are not alone, but you\u2019d never know because we all wear such a brave face, don\u2019t we? However, we\u2019re all feeling much the same. And fifth, my favorite one, pushing through fear is less frightening than living with the underlying fear that comes from a feeling of helplessness. Jeffers goes on to say she\u2019s has never met someone who does not struggle with fear. Maybe they\u2019re out there, she says, but probably not. Some call it nerves. Some call it anxiety. Some call it worry. But it\u2019s all the same thing: it\u2019s fear. It\u2019s helpful stuff to know, but results come from taking action. So, with these five universal truths about fear in mind, I\u2019m going to tackle some things I\u2019ve been avoiding, using thin excuses but, in truth, I\u2019ve been afraid of.  Join me, and let\u2019s see what happens. I\u2019m Cam Marston and I\u2019m just trying to Keep It Real. ","author_name":"Keepin' It Real with Cam Marston","author_url":"https:\/\/cammarston.com\/keepin-it-real-with-cam-marston\/","html":"