“The Language of Fear, and What Comes After”

I heard a quote the other day that stopped me in my tracks:

“Fear does not cause death, but it can hinder your ability to live fully.”

That statement landed hard.

Why?

Because I’ve lived it. And I suspect many of you have too.

Like most of us who’ve spent decades in the workforce, I can point to moments in my career when opportunity knocked, and I didn’t answer. 

Not because I wasn’t capable. But because I was afraid.

Afraid I’d fail.

Afraid I wasn’t ready.

Afraid I’d be exposed as “less-than.”

We don’t always call it fear. We tell ourselves it’s “not the right time,” or “not the right fit,” or “better to wait.” 

But underneath, it’s fear. 

And fear left unchecked doesn’t just block opportunity — it rewrites the trajectory of your life. Quietly. Steadily. Surely.

What changed for me was language. 

I began replacing my internal narrative.                                                  

I used to ask: “What if I fail?” I now ask: “What if I succeed?”

I used to ask: “What if I don’t have what it takes?” I now ask: “What if I’m exactly what’s needed?”

That shift in language wasn’t magical. It didn’t remove risk or eliminate failure. But it opened a door. And I walked through it.

Since then, my approach to life and work has changed dramatically. 

I take more chances. 

I say yes more often. 

I’ve pushed past roles and goals I never would have considered a few years ago. Not recklessly—but with determination. And it’s paid off.

I’m sharing this not to tell my story but to highlight out something I believe is happening around all of us right now.

In every organization, there’s a silent majority. Good people. Smart, capable professionals sitting on the sidelines, unsure if now is the time to speak up, to step up, to reach out.

We are living through extraordinary changes and we’re going to need every ounce of leadership capacity we have—especially the kind that’s been quietly sitting just out of view.

So, if you’re one of those people:

Take the chance.                                                                                                                

Say yes.                                                                                                                                            

Step forward. There’s more to gain than to lose. 

And if you do fail? 

Learn from it. That’s not a setback—it’s your best teacher.

Fear doesn’t end a life. But it can keep you from really living it.