Do you stop yourself from doing things because you are afraid you might make a fool of yourself?
It’s odd how most things we fear are things that havent happened. They are things that might happen. And we fear possibility so much it holds us back.
So many people I work with say they are worried they will make a fool of themselves, so don’t pursue their goals because of that fear.
And yet it’s quite hard to make a fool of yourself in reality.
Some people do it for a living - ask them how hard it is!
Because really only you decide if you are a fool.
And you can decide you are not. Or you are, and laugh about it.
Either way it doesn’t actually hurt as much as you might think.
I have long got over the fear of being a Fool. I decided to embrace the fact that at some point I probably make a fool of myself. And I probably will laugh about it. And probably just move on.
Like last week.
During a chat, with quite a serious person, talking business, books, podcasts. We talked about cancel culture. And about what is freedom. And what is owning our decisions.
And I used the recent example of Rogan Josh. For a full 15 minutes of our chat I shared extracts and case stories which involved Rogan Josh. The person I was talking to agreed, conversed, we thrashed around scenarios. And then right at the end, when I went to search for a recent episode of the said podcast to send over, I had that sinking feeling. And that moment when you realise. And then that moment when have to decide to push on, or come clean.
‘Have I been saying Rogan Josh for our entire chat?’
‘Yes’ came the reply.
‘And you didn’t correct me’
‘No, I wasn’t sure how to, you were very convincing’
‘So you just let me keep talking about Rogan Josh’
‘Yes’
‘But you knew I meant Joe Rogan’
‘Hmm Yes’
‘Were you ever going to tell me?’
‘No’
And at that point we just laugh. That kind of laugh where you cry.
At some point we will all be a Fool whether we know it or not. And when we find out that we have been then it is a glorious moment.
It isn’t a disaster. Nothing really changes. You might even get to laugh. And then everybody just moves on.
Don’t not do something because you might make a fool of yourself. You are missing out on making the best fool of yourself possible!
eleanor
Rogan Josh - love it!