"Fear must never be the obstacle that blocks your development, growth, and maturity as a communicator."

A thought by T. D. Jakes, from his book, Don't Drop the Mic (p. 39). FaithWorks, Kindle Edition.  (Click on the book title to go to Amazon to buy the book.)

Fear can be horrible but we must never let it stop us!

But I'm afraid!

T. D. says, "Fear of failing, fear of succeeding, fear of what others will think, fear of what your mama will think, fear of making a fool of yourself, fear of being misunderstood, criticized, and taken out of context—as with any area of personal growth, fear is likely to be part of the equation. When it comes to communicating, however, fear is but one variable among many, not the limitation that prevents you from being heard by those around you.

"Owning your fear is the first step in facing it, and facing it to overcoming it."

He goes on, "I’m often amazed that people rank speaking in public near the top of their list of worst fears. Known by the clinical word glossophobia, fear of public speaking terrifies some people more than death, divorce, cancer, unemployment, spiders, and snakes! Now all of those certainly frighten me, especially those last two, but allowing any of my fears to prevent me from doing what I’m made to do may be my greatest fear of all.

"It’s not that I no longer get nervous, anxious, or even fearful, prior to stepping onstage or standing in the pulpit. It’s not that I can’t relate to the stress of wanting to have other people understand the layered ideas that seem so clear in my mind yet often get tangled when I attempt to weave my words together. My amazement is because people who refuse to face their fear of communicating before crowds, corporate gatherings, or congregations lose more than they save by avoiding such opportunities. With communication, the old adage of 'Nothing ventured, nothing gained' becomes 'Nothing ventured, something lost.' "

He continues, "For when we allow others to speak for us, when we step away from the mic thrust in front of us by circumstances, then we relinquish power and defer our dreams. Ultimately, I cannot speak for you and your experience, no matter how much we may have in common or how many times we’ve shared meaningful moments. Consider how people often experience the same event in the same place at the same time and come away with very different interpretations, understandings, and experiences."

He later says, "My point is that if you’re not willing to face whatever fears and apprehensions you may have about communicating in public, then you lose out and those around you lose as well. You may have the critical input that inspires your team to innovate new solutions to old problems. You might be the teacher capable of addressing students in variations of their own vernacular, revealing the relevancy of information others were not able to impart. You could be the next stand-up comic bringing laughter to millions of people. Or the next mediator facilitating peace among conflicted stakeholders. The next leader bringing communities together to foster change."

He then says, "But if you’re not willing to risk letting others hear the sound of your voice, then none of those will be possible. If you have a dream, if you feel called, if you’re inspired to pursue your best life, then you must be willing to speak. You must be willing to communicate before you can hope to realize your full potential. Excuses will always pop up like weeds in the sidewalk cracks, but you must never let them keep you from moving forward and letting your voice be heard."

And that is so true. So, let's never be kept from moving forward no matter the fear, okay?

Yes, yes!