Overcoming Fear: When in Doubt, Do It

When in doubt, don't. That is a phrase I was raised with and have heard more times than I can count.  It's a quick and catchy way to provide advice during tough situations and I'm sure it's common use is generally intended it to mean follow your instincts when something doesn't feel right (speaking to situations like peer pressure).  Still, I suspect it had some unintended consequences. It may not be this exact phrase for you (which it turns out is attributable to Ben Franklin), because there are plenty of similar proverbs and sentiments that teach us to run when we're feeling unsure. That may have been a good instinct for our hunter / gatherer ancestors, but it isn't doing us much good today (unless of course we are talking about something like peer pressure). 

These ideas, though well intentioned, might also be training us to generally avoid anything that makes us feel uncomfortable. And there are plenty of worthwhile things that might make you feel pretty uncomfortable. Moving to a new city for college can be uncomfortable. Applying for jobs and going on interviews is definitely uncomfortable. Picking up the phone and making a cold call to try to get an internship? Scary. Risking financial security to pursue your dream career? Seriously terrifying. 

If it were up to that instant visceral reaction that tells us to run, we wouldn't try any of those things and we'd miss out on a lot of amazing opportunities. More importantly, we'd miss out on the chance to succeed. Don't let your fears stop you from living your dreams. So sorry, Ben Franklin, but it's time for an amendment: when in doubt, do it.