The Worst Fear & What It Costs You.

The fear of people laughing at you will cripple your progress more than any other single fear.

A fear of public speaking masquerades itself as if speaking is the problem when it is the fear of being laughed at, ridiculed or mocked in public that is devastatingly real in the mind of the beholder of this fear.

Then there is the fear of death, loss, poverty, ill-health, or of love which are also true to this same person but none can cut quite so deep as the fear of people laughing at you when you go after that dream in your heart.

Or step out to try something new - a thing that may not "be you."

Call it what you will: a limiting belief, a limiting decision, how you've "always" been [note: You cannot 'always' have been something you chose those certain behaviours either consciously or unconsciously but you are a benefactor either way]

Or that you're too old, or too young, not smart, tall, short, fat, any excuse you choose.

At your core it's the fear of what you will look like and the reaction of others making fun of you at your expense, to be laughed at is stifling your magnificence. 

Here's the kicker...

Most people do not think.

And they are certainly not thinking about you or what you do or do not do.

If you're lucky you may pass their lips in a moment of trivial "did-ya-hear" but then the dreary conversation will go back to what all conformists talk about which is, not much that matters.

But what does matter is that great people take a chance, they are bold and they are courageous.

They see an opportunity for growth and take the inherited risk that goes with it.

The risk they may be laughed at.

But these individuals understand the true meaning of risk.

Here's a list of people that conquered that fear of being laughed at and you benefit every day because of it:

• Edison [Incandescent Lightbulb]
• Graham Bell [Telephone] Couldn't raise money for his new invention!
• Wright Brothers [Aeroplane] Own father said they'd burn in hell during his sermon.
• Robert Fulton [Steam Ship] Every passerby nagged, laughed, criticized him.
• Inventors of the Type-Writer businessmen rejected this machine for years because they thought who would bother writing letters for business.
• Inventors of the sewing machine.
• Jack Ma, J.K Rowling, Steve Jobs, Jesus, Gandhi, and virtually every single author, sportsperson, actor, writer, blogger, tech company founder, startup, business owner, all the way to the child in the school play daring to do something different.

You have greatness within you but absolutely refuse to be like everyone else.

Be you, create you and be free.

Not by following the pack, conforming, playing it safe or looking for a sure thing.

By not being afraid of falling and being laughed at by the people who would rather tiptoe through life praying to make it safely to death.

If you're not willing to face this truth then abandon your ambitions and know you don't deserve the rewards. 

If you're not willing to dance on the edge of failure, where the vibrancy of life exists, then shrink into your lowest concern and get comfortable.

If that is not you, welcome to the best you.

Vaughan.