One of the great paradoxes of life is the certainty of uncertainty. It’s also the amazing mystery of life because the only way to see the future is to experience it, moment by moment. As entrepreneurs, we live in this realm of extreme uncertainty each day. For some, it’s the spark that ignites amazing creativity, but for most, it’s the crippling trap that prevents us from dreaming bigger dreams. None of us are immune to fear and doubt; but some of us have learned to embrace it and turn it “into fuel for brilliance”, as Jonathan Fields describes.
I’ve learned that fear is a great enabler. Framed properly, it’s the creative tension that turns good ideas into great businesses. As the late great Steve Jobs once said – “…Almost everything-all external expectations, all pride, all fear of embarrassment or failure-these things just fall away in the face of death, leaving only what is truly important. Remembering that you are going to die is the best way I know to avoid the trap of thinking you have something to lose. You are already naked. There is no reason not to follow your heart.”