Overcoming Fear

Photo by Matthew Henry

Okay, ladies and gentlemen, the party is over, and it’s time for me to get busy promoting and selling my book. An easy task? We shall see. I had no idea the amount of work that goes into developing and marketing a novel. I must say, the writing was definitely the easy party. The other stuff, not so much. Launching my book requires a lot of research and networking to keep the wheels turning.

The hardest part for me? Sharing myself. I am a very private person by nature, and this entire social networking process has taken me (far) outside of my comfort zone. When I initially sent invites for my book launch party, I was greeted with similar responses: “You wrote a book?” “You write?” “When did you find time to write a book?”

That was the first step in stepping out of my private little space and letting the world know I am now a published author. It was scary. Liberating, but scary. I decided not to allow fear to stop me from pursuing my dream. I know that being an author requires me to promote not only my book but myself as well. So with each blog post, tweet or social interaction I know I am one step closer to conquering my fears, which will help launch my writing career to the next level.

The same applies to you.  Don’t let me be out here by myself conquering fears and obtaining personal growth. Get on board. If you have a fear of something, face it head on and move forward. Do not let fear stop you from applying for that job, wearing your hair a certain way or even communicating with someone. Usually, we are afraid of rejection. You wanna know a secret? Rejection won’t kill you. You will dust yourself off, learn a lesson and move onward. Just do it. As long as the results won’t cost your freedom or cause bodily harm, you don’t have anything to lose…except maybe the opportunity.

So here’s to the next level and here’s to seizing opportunities!