Stories of conquering fear: Advice from Platon

If you’ve followed my blog for any length of time you know that fear and failure are topics I blog about often.

fear.less is an online magazine that will be launching soon that has notable people address the issue of overcoming fear. I signed up for their magazine awhile back and today I received a PDF about Platon facing and overcoming his fears.

I’d post the PDF, but it seems like something they are using as incentive to get people to sign up so I’m not sure they’d be happy with me posting it so instead I’ll share a few highlights with you.

It’s a great article with a lot of it resonating with me as I work to get established.

A few quotes and some of my random thoughts thrown in:

In the beginning, everything is hard, no matter what profession you choose. I was always obsessed with the idea when I was younger of “How did other people make it?” When you’re a student,  you feel you’re on the other side of things, that there’s this beautiful, imaginary castle where everybody goes when they’ve “made it.” I finally learned “made it” doesn’t actually exist; it’s just an idea you look up to when you’re beginning. When you’re on the tracks, it’s the continuous journey that makes a difference, not the end result. The end result is when you kick the bucket.

I’m guilty of doing this all the time. I’ll hear someone speak and one of the first questions that will pop into my little head is; How’d you make it and what advice would you give to someone starting out? Unfortunately or fortunately depending on your outlook there isn’t a formula and everyone’s journey is unique. Although when you’re on the beginning of that journey it often becomes easy to lose sight of the road and you start to feel like you’re playing the lottery rather than building a career.

I came to realize that it’s actually irrelevant how anybody else does it if you’re looking for a formula to apply to yourself. The truth is, everyone’s journey is different, everyone’s personality is different, and everyone’s talent or weaknesses are different. It’s more important to really get to know yourself and understand who you are, understand your Achilles’ heel and your strengths, which can often be completely unrecognized in the beginning.

Your instincts are your true guide, and a lot of young people are bullied into not listening to their instincts because they don’t fit into the protocol of the establishment. It’s your instincts and emotions backed with resilience, drive and confidence that make you empowered. If you keep pushing through, eventually you break the ice.

Like a wolf lurking in the shadows waiting to pounce on the weak and injured self-doubt lingers waiting to paralyze you into fear. Trust your heart and gut to pull you through.

I went in 36 times in three years with my portfolio before they finally gave me a job. I think I showed every single person my work, even the receptionist. I was just so committed to getting in there that, I think eventually, they just felt sorry for me and wanted to shut me up. You have to have the mentality that you won’t take “no” for an answer and look at what you’re aiming for at that moment in time and see how to make it happen.

I’m experiencing this first hand trying to get meetings with editors. It’s a process that could easily have you waving the white flag after the first day of not hearing back from any of the editors you contacted. You continue to push on to the second day of contacting editors, which blurs into day three and still nothing. Finally by day four an editor sends you a note and says they’d love to see your work and your hope is renewed. You must stay the course.

There’s no “arrival,” because you’ve always got the next step on the journey. Young people need to understand that, they need to feel that. When you’re intimidated by the establishment or successful people, or you feel like you’re not worthy in some ridiculous way, then you’ve got to remind yourself that they’re on the same journey that you are, and believe me, they’re just as frightened of you as you are of them. You’re young, you’re talented, you have a burning energy they don’t have, you have no history, no skeletons in the closet, you’re just liberated.

You can’t hide what you’re really feeling, especially from me, because I’m good at catching it. In fact, I’m looking for it.

It’s not about achieving or winning or acquiring something. It’s more visceral than that. It goes back to “Who am I? Am I happy? Am I really living?