This weekend Jeff sent me a tentative breakdown of the book chapters. It’s been two weeks to the day that he and I started working together.  The breakdown was nothing short of genius.  His ability to sort through and integrate all of the information he gathered through our phone discussions, my writings and the various books and other resources he has sought on his own still boggles my mind.  He truly gets the material and my voice.

When I shared it with the significant people in my life, it was unanimous, this is MEGA exciting.  With that excitement came another feeling, fear.  It caught me off guard in the middle of the night.  For the past two nights I have awakened with a dreadful feeling in the pit of my stomach.  I instantly recognized it as a fearful feeling arising out of my decision to write this book.

The issue of course is not the book, but where it would inevitably lead me – becoming more public.  As I mentioned in yesterday’s blog, I am committed to share my work with more people.  This necessarily forces me to become more visible, not a place I am at all comfortable going.

Our system is wired to remain in the known; it provides us predictability and safety.  Stretching ourselves to new place always involves moving out of our comfort zone into a place where we think we don’t have the necessary tools and behaviors needed to be in control.  This is the primary reason people avoid doing new things or taking on new challenges. It is the main factor behind people staying in unfulfilled jobs or unhappy marriages.

It is scary to step up.  But it’s stagnation not to.  Growth requires confronting our fears.

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