Being Fearless

Fear is a terrible thing. It’s powerful. Especially if your life is in danger - a near miss with a double-decker bus, an angry dog that comes after you, a fire nearly started. It’s the millisecond when your life all boils down to that one moment.

But fear is more than this. It’s also the fear of making mistakes, fear of what other people will think. It’s even fear of making everyday decisions. We worry. But why?

I guess it’s because our mistakes are not just known by our family or friends, they can also be broadcasted publically on Snapchat or elsewhere. The scary moment of being found out! That’s why we prefer to keep quiet and stay below the radar then step out of the crowd.

We think that being fearless is something that you do for those big moments, like doing extreme sports .

But being fearless is more than just overcoming your fear in the moment, it’s bigger than that. Being fearless is following your dreams even if others do differently. Being fearless is standing up for what you believe it despite the possible criticism from others.

“Success is not final, failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts”

Being fearless, above all, is getting up again and again after you fail, knowing that failure is the learning curve to becoming a better version of you.

What will others think?

Think of a public figure you really admire. Do you think they would got where they have got to if they depended on the opinion of others?

“It takes a great deal of bravery to stand up to our enemies, but just as much to stand up to our friends”.

Sometimes we need to stand up for what we believe in. In the long run people genuinelly admire that because it shows real authenticity. Everybody else is following for the crowd.

Is there something that you are not doing in your life because you are afraid of making a mistake?

And think if you don’t do it, what kind of person would you become. Would you be the person you were meant to be?

Dont’ miss out on opportunities that present themselves to you. Saying no because you’re afraid of failing means you have failed already. You will lose nothing by trying.

Kodaline has a song called “Ready”. Video is worth the watch.

In the lyrics of this song, it says:

Look me in the eye when I am talking to you
It's easy to get nervous I've been feeling it too
Yeah it's kinda crazy
Yeah it's kinda dumb
Never let the pressure overpower the fun

Fear and nerves are felt by everyone, but it depends on what you do with that fear that counts. Overcoming your fear everyday in the little things - even if they seem stupid - will give you strength to overcome the fear in the big things when they present themselves.

Questions for Discussion

What is fear? How do you feel when you are fearful?

When do you think fear is a good thing? When do you think fear is a bad thing?

Discuss the video of the jockey. Do you think the jockey was excited or afraid to go on the horse? Why? What did he do to prepare himself? Do you think it helped him?

How do you overcome fear? Why do you think it’s good to overcome fear sometimes?

Can you think of moments when you overcome your fear of doing something? How did you feel before and then after?

Are there things now that you think you are reluctant to do because you are kind of afraid of failure?

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This blog post is part of our “Star Input”.
Star Input is used for sessions with the girls attending the activities at Fearless. We normally have one Star Input each month so everyone, no matter where they are in Ireland can discuss this topic.