Heights. Spiders. Awkward silences.
Yeah, me too.
And what else?
Being fired. Being promoted. Being called on for advice.
And what else?
Failure. Success. Mediocrity.
And what else?
Being found out. Never being found out. Standing out.
And what else?
Commitment. Loneliness. Bad decisions.
And what else?
Being liked. Being heard. Being seen.
And what else?
Fear itself.
What this reveals is two things:
First, we don’t own fear.
It’s not uniquely yours, and it’s not uniquely mine. It is merely fear. A universal condition that can connect us instead of isolating us.
And second, the power of asking ‘And what else?’
Rarely do people give us the real answer the first time. Be generous enough to allow them a chance to dig deeper and share what they’re really thinking.