Marinating in Insanity

y2.d40 | worry lines, a photo by B Rosen on Flickr.

I just heard this phrase used in the context of an interview* and was immediately hooked. The context was someone taking the leap from steady employment to entrepreneurship, and he was scared stiff thinking of all the terrible possibilities. What if this fails? What if I'm wrecking my future? What if my parents are right to be skeptical? He basted himself with the juices of fear for years. 

Then he took the leap. In a cold sweat, with the doubt of coworkers ringing in his ears, he turned in his two-week notice and leapt into the world of freelance design. The rest, as they say, is success. He is now doing very well for himself, is incredibly good at what he does, works with clients around the world (some big names, I might add), and spends $0 on marketing--it's all word of mouth from satisfied customers.

This isn't just a business success story, though, it's a wake-up call for all of us who have been marinating in our own insanities: the insanities of worry, doubt, worst-case-scenarios, and second guessing. What does marination do? The acids of a marinade break down the tissues in raw meat, tenderizing it, making it mushy. What will happen if you marinade in the insanity of uninformed, unnecessary fear? You'll break down. You'll eventually get so soft and muddle-headed that you won't be able to make any progress. Your wings will collapse before you even try to take flight.

Inaction breeds doubt and fear. Action breeds confidence and courage. If you want to conquer fear, do not sit home and think about it. Go out and get busy.

Dale Carnegie

Note to self: Get out there and stop worrying about what might happen.

*This interview was on an awesome podcast, Coach Radio, with Justin Lukasavige (coachradio.tv) and Charlie Pabst (charfishdesign.com).