Fight Your Fears

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“I realize that if I wait until I am no longer afraid to act, write, speak, be, I’ll be sending messages on a Ouija board, cryptic complaints from the other side.”

- Audre Lorde

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Fear is often what keeps us from moving forward.

Whether writing the dissertation, or writing for publication, the fear of exposure is often what keeps us blocked.

We are afraid of exposing our ideas to an audience.

• “What if I’m wrong?”
• “What if I look stupid?”
• “What if my advisor doesn’t like it?”
• “What if it gets rejected?”
• “What if someone else has already said it?”
• “What if I’ve made mistakes?”
• “What if people criticize my work?”
• “What if it’s poorly written?”
• “What if my ideas are mediocre?”
• “What if my findings can’t be replicated?”
• “What if my peers are jealous?”
• “What if people attack my theory?”
• “What if it could be much better?”
• “What if I can’t think of another project?”
• “What if it’s worse than I think?”
• “What if I succeed?”
• “What if I fail?”

The possible fears are infinite.

However, most of our anxieties are based on a few basic tenets.  Among the basic themes are fear of external judgments and fear of facing our own limitations.

To move forward, we must let go of our wish for approval. We must give up our need for control. We must accept that we are imperfect.

This week, face your internal specters and expose your work to the world.

The courage to move forward in spite of fear is the mark of a successful academic.

Which fears will you face this week?