I was voted "class loudmouth" in my senior year of high school. It's funny to look back on now because I was, in many cases, a big mouth full of confidence. It got me in trouble more than a few times.
Fast forward to being 23 years old. I was sitting in an empty room, in an apartment, and I was afraid to go back to school and get my bachelor's degree. I was afraid to go through all the group projects and class presentations that I was sure were in my path.
It got to a point where I considered playing the lottery. This is not a joke. I wasn't trying to play the lotto in the sense that I wanted to gamble my money away. I just thought maybe I'll buy a few tickets and just win a couple million dollars. I could make that work. I wouldn't have to go get a degree. My brain got irrational.
Fast forward to graduating undergrad. I did it! I definitely, was absolutely done with college at that point. I figured I had enough education and brains to figure the rest out. A year later I was realizing that going to grad school was the best possible end game for me. I again battled with myself. I again lost to my courage. Thank God. Within 10 months of a masters program, I was done. I did it. Again.
I tell this short story of irrational panic because life has taught me things through the fear and anxiety that I would've never learned if I just sat in comfort or avoided the internal struggle altogether.
If doing things while afraid has taught me anything, it's that I know I can look that devil straight in the eye until he backs down.
That devil of discomfort. Of anxiety and fear. That devil of doubt. The devil of irrational BS. I can look it in the eye because I've seen this coward before. It doesn't hold a candle to what I'm capable of.
It's funny what fear will drive you to. It takes away logic, discipline, belief, and motivation. It replaces that stuff with paralysis and irrational ideas that make you feel crazy.
In reality, we're all going to encounter discomfort, fear, and anxiety. No worthwhile accomplishment is an easy path. The key for me is simply accepting that I'm going to be uncomfortable, and then doing it anyway.