Weekly: You’re in charge
Old Happy: "My fear is in charge of my choices."
New Happy: "I am in charge of my choices."
When you feel scared to pursue what matters to you, you are most likely to respond by doing...nothing. You freeze, you run away, or you pretend that you actually don't care about it at all. This is a completely natural and understandable reaction to fear.
But if you'd like to break this pattern, it's important to learn a different response to your fear. You need to learn how to turn it into a source of power. Fear can keep you frozen. Or it can be turned into fuel.
How do you do this? By remembering who is in charge. It's not your fear. It's you. You are in control of your choices, and that includes how you respond to your fear. You have the power to learn from your fear, to do something about it, and to transcend it.
The next time you're feeling afraid, say these words to yourself:
"I am afraid, but my fear is not in control. I am."
Your fear is a part of you, but it is not the only part of you, nor is it the part of you that gets to make decisions. That power belongs to you, and you alone.
Tips and Tools
1. You're enough — This week's animation.
2. Live by your rules — Discover your values.
3. Do it imperfectly — Imperfect action wins.
4. You don't have to know it all — Just have to know a bit.
5. Change takes time — Be gentle with yourself.
More from TNH
Book — Order New Happy today to find true happiness.
Podcast — Get a daily morning pep talk — in five minutes or less
Speaking — Book us to speak to your team about well-being, resilience, and productivity.
Articles — Read more articles on our website.
Community
What is something you want to do, but feel like you can't?
“Write a memoir.”
“Become a people manager as a new mom.”
“Start a coffee shop.”
“Write a good short story.”
“Leave my job and go freelance.”
“Travel alone.”
Before You Go
The Definitive Guide to Happiness
A groundbreaking new approach based on a decade’s worth of research and brought to life with beautiful artwork, New Happy shows you the proven path to happiness.
No spam, just joy.
