Thank you for this powerful reflection. 🙏 It really struck a chord with me—how the fear of disappointing those who believe in us is both a burden and a kind of blessing. On one hand, it pushes us toward integrity, responsibility, and excellence. On the other, it can quietly turn into pressure, self-doubt, or even shame if we don’t balance it with self-compassion.
What helped me personally was learning to ask: Whose belief am I carrying? Is it someone who truly sees me, or am I projecting expectations? And can I remember that even those who believe in me probably don’t expect perfection—but presence, honesty, and growth?
This fear, when grounded in care and self-awareness, can truly be a compass. Thanks again for articulating it so clearly.
I love this. It’s all perception, and we have a conscious choice in how we respond to and shape it. Fear is a signal of something to pay attention to. Anything beyond that is usually an amplified, distorted version of reality.
Thank you for this powerful reflection. 🙏 It really struck a chord with me—how the fear of disappointing those who believe in us is both a burden and a kind of blessing. On one hand, it pushes us toward integrity, responsibility, and excellence. On the other, it can quietly turn into pressure, self-doubt, or even shame if we don’t balance it with self-compassion.
What helped me personally was learning to ask: Whose belief am I carrying? Is it someone who truly sees me, or am I projecting expectations? And can I remember that even those who believe in me probably don’t expect perfection—but presence, honesty, and growth?
This fear, when grounded in care and self-awareness, can truly be a compass. Thanks again for articulating it so clearly.
Thanks Andreas.
What does the cadence and practice of asking those questions of yourself look like?
I love this. It’s all perception, and we have a conscious choice in how we respond to and shape it. Fear is a signal of something to pay attention to. Anything beyond that is usually an amplified, distorted version of reality.
If we can allow fear to trigger a productive behavior instead of a pointless or destructive one….
How do you stay abreast of what might be distorted versions of reality, Josh?
My gut response is reflection, journaling, etc., anything I can do to develop self-awareness and call myself on behaviors that aren’t useful.
However, what’s helped me through actual behavior change and to get out of my own way is coaching and therapy.