Becoming Fearless

© Cars YeahWhen talking to entrepreneurs, wantrepreneurs, sidepreneurs, autopreneurs, and most of the inspiring guests on Cars Yeah, a common word is shared. Fear. Somewhere along their journey toward success, fear played in to their experiences. More often than not, their fear had no definition. It was simply a feeling. That’s where the FEAR acronym comes to life.

False. Evidence. Assumed Real.

In his famous speech, FDR said “The only thing we have to fear is fear itself.” While fear of failure is certainly a real feeling, some of my guests have discovered that fear of failure is akin to fear of success. They learned that anyone who has had success has failed and many time, failed often.

The other side of fear is freedom.

Thomas Paine said, “I love the man that can smile in trouble, that can gather strength from distress, and grow brave by reflection.”  And Paul Sweeney said it best. “True success is overcoming the fear of being unsuccessful.” And Dorothy Thompson said…

Only when we are no longer afraid do we begin to live.

How often has False Evidence Assumed Real kept you from daring to fail? Or better yet, how often has fear kept you from success?