One Little Word: Fearless, January 2025

I’ve had a month to attempt being fearless and I have not, in fact, been fearless at all.

Instead, I have worried and fretted over much . . . the future of democracy, the safety of vulnerable people, the budget issues my town is facing heading into the next fiscal year, and the heat at the library, which has been giving us problems for the last two weeks to the point where we have had to close until it is fixed.

I worried about attending the conference and all that came with it.

And I always worry about my kids and grandkids because . . . that’s just what we do.

But here’s something I’m sort of figuring out. Being fearless doesn’t mean being free of fear altogether. Being fearless means moving forward despite the fear. It’s about trusting myself to handle whatever situation I face. It’s about not letting fear control my decisions or hold me back from trying something new.

It’s about, to paraphrase something Suneel Gupta told us last Friday, not waiting to feel fearless before taking action but rather, taking action and letting fearlessness catch up along the way.

I think this word is going to challenge me in ways I never anticipated and that is so exciting.

I am not fearless . . . but I’m taking action anyway.

Comments (10)

  1. What a great perspective! I had not thought of being fearless as being without fear but instead taking action. Meanwhile, I sure hope you can get the library’s heat fixed!

  2. I do think the action part is where many of us fall short. Time, distraction, fear, and more hold us back. I look forward to seeing where this takes you. Perhaps it doesn’t change how you act so much as how you look at things? Best wishes on the library heating system.

  3. I love every bit of this Carole! (and I love that Suneel Gupta quote!) I can feel your excitement over this word and I am excited with you! I can’t wait to see where this word takes you this year! XO

  4. I think your pick of a word is perfect for the current climate in our country, Carole. While others are becoming frozen in fear, you are going to be working through things as best you can. And you are going to be learning so much about yourself in the process! I wish you the best on this journey!

  5. You picked a good time for this word! I’m afraid to look at the news and I have one kid so afraid of possible repealed birthright citizenship that he had to make sure he had his birth certificate. I laughed because I wasn’t sure where he would get deported to, but it’s really not a laughing matter. Here’s hoping we can all do the best thing even in the face of fear.

  6. I understand completely what you are saying and I think that facing our fears is one of the hardest things we can do, but so important. One step at a time, just like everything else! 🙂

  7. I know you’re going to be doing some great work with this word this year, but you’ve already hit upon what I think might be the most powerful lesson: Being fearless doesn’t mean being without fear. I’d bet you could even frame it as a two-word phrase — fear less.

    1. Oh, Sarah, I love this! Fear-less. I’m avoiding my usual news cycle right now; I don’t want to deal with the “shock and awe” of it all. I trust that my congresspeople and the lawyers are challenging the bullsh*t that is raining down. I don’t have the energy for constant outrage.

  8. What great lessons . . . and so early in the year, too! I can’t wait to see the word “fearless” unfold in your life, Carole. XO

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