Faith vs. Fear

Faith vs. Fear

A Sixty-Word Short Story: *

Boris was frustrated with his own word choices. The message had to be just right, but he wasn’t feeling the flow. Every time he read it, he changed something and that change created more questions. What should have been a simple email invitation for coffee was becoming complicated. Although he feared she might reject his offer, he hit “send” anyway.

And more…

Fear is something that holds all of us back from time to time. And after a while the fear that kept us from acting on something, like asking someone a question, or trying a new path, eventually grows into a regret. The regret is placed nicely into our memory bank and every once in a while, pops up in the present to remind us of what might have been. Some regrets are debilitating and can steal away our sense of self-worth, as well as our faith in ourselves and hold us back from new opportunities.

There are two ways to help overcome fear and eliminate regrets. The first is to practice feeling courage in our decisions. Yes, we might fail, but that’s just an outcome and it’s how we learn. The more we control our fear of failing, the more we will succeed and gain from the experience. As Nelson Mandella famously said: “I never lose. Either I win or I learn.”

The other way to overcome regrets is to not create them in the first place and do what Boris did… Have faith. Go for it. Then you know.

Final Thought: We never know until we try is the battle cry of all positive change.

Szenzone – Stories of life and the power to change yours – is sent via email by request and is published weekly or thereabouts. For back issues or to receive this publication directly please email [email protected]  © Gary Szenderski 2025 All Rights Reserved. Gary is an author, branding specialist and teaches at the University of California in Irvine. He specializes in helping people and organizations navigate change – if you or your company needs assistance contact Gary directly.  Gary resides in Southern California and welcomes your comments.