“The cave you fear to enter holds the treasure you seek. Fear of the unknown is our greatest fear. Many of us would enter a tiger’s lair before we would enter a dark cave. While caution is a useful instinct, we lose many opportunities and much of the adventure of life if we fail to support the curious explorer within us.”
~Joseph Campbell
Fear is one of the biggest things that holds us back from living the life we want to live. We can be afraid of many things: Looking too closely at our relationships for fear of what we may find, taking stock of our finances to see where we really stand, trying to pursue a big goal and run the risk of failing.
Whenever I discuss what fears are holding back my clients or friends, I also ask the question: What would be possible, if you mastered your fear? And I get amazing responses for what would be possible in their lives: pursuing a more meaningful career, creating stronger and more loving relationships, being much happier and more fulfilled, etc.
Often our first instinct when feeling fear is to to pull back into our comfort zone or distract ourselves with something else so we can escape the uncomfortable feeling. Joseph Campbell’s quote reminds us that at some points in our lives we have to face the fear and enter the cave, in order to live the more meaningful, fulfilling and happier life we want.
What is the cave you fear to enter?
Manuela loves helping heart-centered professionals create a career and life they love! You can sign up here for her monthly newsletter with helpful tips and course announcements.