Fear: Nature's Red Bull - Sip the Terror and Crush Your Goals
Chandra Eden, The True Me Yogi
One Small Step Can Change Your Life: The Kaizen Way
Author: Robert Maurer, Ph.D.
"'While the modern medical name for the feeling produced by a new challenge or large goal is stress, for countless generations if went by the old, familiar name of fear. Even now, I've found that the most successful people are the ones who gaze at fear unblinkingly. Instead of relying on terms like anxiety, stress or nervousness, they speak openly of being frightened by their responsibilities and challenges."
Fear: Nature’s Red Bull—Sip the Terror and Crush Your Goals
We’ve gotten soft. Not in a "kids these days" kind of way, but in how we talk about our feelings. We're stressed. We have anxiety. We're feeling overwhelmed. These are the clean, clinical, almost respectable terms we use to describe the stomach-churning, palm-sweating sensation of staring down a massive challenge. It’s the feeling you get right before a huge presentation, when you’re about to launch a business, or when you finally decide to ask for that promotion.
But let’s be honest. For most of human history, that feeling wasn’t called "stress." It was called fear. Pure, simple, unadulterated fear. And somewhere along the way, we decided that word was too ugly, too raw. We medicalized it, wrapped it in bubble wrap, and gave it polite, manageable names. In doing so, we might have robbed ourselves of its greatest power.
The most successful people don’t just manage stress; they look fear in the eye and call it by its name. They understand that being frightened by their goals isn't a sign of weakness. It's a sign they're doing something that actually matters.
The Great Sanitization of Fear
Why did we trade a powerful, primal word like "fear" for the bland corporate-speak of "stress"? It’s understandable. "Stress" sounds like a temporary condition, something that can be managed with a yoga class, a mindfulness app, or a weekend getaway. It’s an external pressure pushing down on us.
"Anxiety" feels more internal, a bit more serious, but still something a doctor can help you with. It’s a diagnosable condition, a chemical imbalance. It removes some of the personal responsibility. It’s not you, it’s your brain chemistry.
Fear, on the other hand, is personal. It’s visceral. It admits vulnerability. Saying "I'm scared of failing at this project" feels much different than "I'm stressed about this project's deadline." The first is an admission of personal stakes and potential for pain. The second is a complaint about circumstances. By sanitizing fear, we've made it easier to talk about but harder to confront. We’re treating the symptom, not the cause.
Why 'Fear' is a More Useful Word
When you reframe "stress" as "fear," you change the entire dynamic. You’re no longer a passive victim of your schedule or workload. You become the protagonist in your own story, facing a dragon of your own choosing. This shift in perspective is more than just semantics; it’s a strategic advantage.
Fear is a Compass, Not a Cage
That jolt of fear you feel when considering a big goal is not a warning to retreat. It's a signal. It’s your brain’s way of saying, “Pay attention! This is important. This is where the growth happens.” If your goals don’t scare you at least a little bit, they’re probably not big enough.
Think of it as a compass pointing directly toward the outer edge of your comfort zone. That’s the frontier where you level up, acquire new skills, and become a more capable version of yourself. Stress just tells you you're busy. Fear tells you you're on the right path.
Fear Demands Action
Stress is something you endure. Fear is something you face. The language itself implies a different response. You manage stress, but you conquer fear. By calling it fear, you instinctively know that passivity is not an option. You must act—either by preparing, planning, or pushing forward.
When you’re scared of public speaking, you practice your speech until you know it backward and forward. When you’re stressed about it, you might just complain about how much you have to do. One path leads to competence and confidence; the other leads to more stress.
Fear Builds Courage
You can't build courage by avoiding scary things. Courage isn't the absence of fear; it's the act of moving forward despite it. Each time you face a fear and survive—whether you succeed or fail—you prove to yourself that you are capable of handling it. You bank that experience, and the next time you face a similar challenge, it’s a little less terrifying.
This is how you build resilience. Not by creating a stress-free life, but by expanding your capacity to operate effectively while feeling afraid. The most successful people aren't fearless; they've just had more practice at being scared.
How to Make Fear Your Ally
Acknowledging fear is the first step. Using it as a tool for growth is the next. Here’s how to start gazing at fear unblinkingly.
1. Name It to Tame It
The next time you feel that familiar "stress" about a big task, stop. Take a breath and ask yourself, "What am I actually afraid of here?" Be specific.
Are you afraid of looking stupid in front of your peers?
Are you afraid of losing money?
Are you afraid of discovering you’re not good enough?
Putting a name to the specific fear strips it of its vague, overwhelming power. "I'm stressed about the presentation" is a fog. "I'm afraid my data will be challenged and I won't have the answer" is a specific problem you can prepare for.
2. De-Catastrophize the Outcome
Once you’ve named the fear, ask yourself: "And then what?" Play out the worst-case scenario. You give the presentation, you get a question you can't answer, and you look unprepared for a moment. What happens next? You say, "That's a great question, let me look into that and get back to you."
Does your career end? Do your colleagues shun you? No. In most cases, the catastrophic outcome you're imagining is wildly out of proportion to reality. Seeing this clearly makes the fear much smaller and more manageable.
3. Seek Out 'Controlled Fear'
You can train your fear response like a muscle. Start taking on small, calculated risks that scare you a little. This could be speaking up in a meeting when you normally wouldn't, publishing that article you've been sitting on, or signing up for a class in a skill you're terrible at.
These are low-stakes opportunities to practice being scared. Each time you do it, you teach your nervous system that the feeling of fear doesn't automatically equal mortal danger. It just means you’re learning.
The Choice is Yours
You can continue to live in a world of manageable stress and vague anxiety, floating through challenges. Or you can choose to see the world for what it is: a place full of things that are, and should be, a little bit scary.
Embrace the word. The next time your heart pounds before a challenge, don't tell yourself you're stressed. Tell yourself the truth: "I'm scared." And then smile. Because that fear is the clearest sign you’re alive and heading exactly where you need to go.