First of all, it’s hard for me to write about overcoming fear because it’s something I’m still learning to manage.
But here’s what I’ve understood from my journey with fear: it’s good to have it.
Yes, you read that right. Fear means you care about something. It means you’re reaching for something that matters to you, even if you haven’t fully mastered it yet. That’s not a weakness—that’s growth in progress.
Fear is a survival mechanism—but sometimes, it keeps us stuck. And for me, you reading this is my fear.
How do you think I feel as I send this to every single one of my newsletter subscribers? It’s like handing you my diary, the most private thoughts I have. Should they be private?
What if you don’t relate? What if you don’t agree with my ideas? Or worse, what if my friends read this and think, "What’s the matter with him? He’s changed..."
These thoughts hold me back. Fear holds me back. But as Franklin D. Roosevelt said, “The only thing we have to fear is fear itself.”
I can’t live with letting these fears control me. I think about the person I’ll be in 10 years. Will he have these same fears? Probably not—but only if I take action now.
Through hours of self-reflection, I’ve realized that fear feeds on certain things—uncertainty, change, the pressure to perform, and the struggles we face.
But knowing these doesn’t always help. At first, it made things worse—I was thinking too much about the future, worrying about things that hadn’t even happened yet.
How could I be so sure my fears would come true? I couldn’t.
So, I decided to exchange fear for faith.
I asked myself:
- What if I’m enough, right now?
- What if every step I take helps me grow into the person I want to be?
That’s when I remembered one of my favorite quotes:
“Where your fear is, there your task is.” — Carl Jung
And I realized: my fear is a map.
It’s showing me where I need to go, what I need to face. This moment of realization was a turning point. Fear wasn’t an enemy—it was a test of my character.
It was all in my head—a reaction to a perceived future.
So I asked myself one last question:
The answer was simple: Yes, I am.
So here I am, writing to you, despite the fear. And if I can do this, you can too.
Because fear is just a reaction. Courage is a decision.
Whatever fear you’re facing right now, take a moment to thank it. It’s pointing you toward growth, toward becoming the person you’re meant to be.
I challenge you to name your fear, ask yourself if you can face it as you are, and shift your mindset: focus on learning, not failing. Plan small steps to expose yourself to it and grow.
Then, take that first step. It doesn’t have to be perfect—it just has to be forward.
You’ve got this and I’m here, cheering you on.
— Niklāvs
And as I promised - a song for you to explore.
Music is subjective, but we can all relate to moments. Find yourself a special moment this week when to listen to this.
