What Is Your Fear Really Telling You?

Last week we explored what this new season might be inviting you to notice.

This week, let’s talk about what often follows that noticing: fear.

Fear of the unknown.

Feart of making the wrong decision.
Fear that if you leap, everything might change… or worse, that it won’t.

Here’s what I know from coaching hundreds of leaders and changemakers:

Fear isn’t the enemy. It’s information.

It usually shows up when you’re standing right at the edge of something meaningful. Something that matters. But it rarely announces itself.

Instead, it disguises itself as logic.

Fear Decoder: What your fear might actually be trying to tell you

When fear shows up, it often sounds perfectly reasonable, but underneath the words you’re saying… is usually a message worth decoding.

What Fear Says →  “I’m not ready yet.”

What It’s Really Trying to Tell You → I’m standing on the edge of something that matters. I want to get it right.

What Fear Says → “It’s not the right time.”

What It’s Really Trying to Tell You → I’m craving more clarity before I take the next step.

What Fear Says → “What if I fail?”

What It’s Really Trying to Tell You → I care deeply about this and I don’t want to waste the opportunity.

What Fear Says → “I don’t know what I want.”

What It’s Really Trying to Tell You → I’ve been so busy being who I should be, I’ve lost touch with what brings me joy.

What Fear Says → “What if it doesn’t work?”

What It’s Really Trying to Tell You → A part of me already knows what I want — I’m just afraid to admit it out loud.

Fear doesn’t always mean stop.
It often means pay attention.

When you can decode what it’s trying to tell you, fear becomes less of a roadblock… and more of a compass.

So this week, I invite you to get curious and bravely bring your fears into the light:

  1. Pick one area of your life where fear is whispering to you.
  2. Name it. And then,
  3. Explore all the ways this fear may be protecting you, and all the ways this fear may be harming you – preventing you from curating the life you truly desire.
  4. Do you notice any shifts in your perspective when you listen differently?  

(In next week’s email, that noticing becomes the foundation for helping you make your scary decisions.)

✨ An Invitation for You

If this message resonates, and you’re ready to stop letting fear call the shots, I’m here to personally guide you through that process inside The Career (Life!) Breakthrough Academy.™

In The Academy, we go beyond theory.

You’ll learn how to reveal your unique value, test the assumptions that hold you back, and create a clear, confident path toward your Next Chapter.

You’ll discover how to think differently, decide differently, and lead your life and career from the intersection of joy + impact – the place where fear loses its power.

If you’ve been waiting for a sign that it’s time to begin… consider this it.

👉 Learn more about The Career (Life!) Breakthrough Academy here.

To your success (and your courage),

Your Next Chapter Coach
Creator of The Career (Life!) Breakthrough Academy™

What is this Season inviting you to NOTICE?

The leaves are turning (even if just in spirit here in California), and this month’s “Halloween-inspired” theme is Facing Fear.

But before we talk about big leaps or bold actions… I want to begin with a quieter question:

👉 What is this season of change inviting you to notice?

Maybe you’ve been pushing forward, eyes on the next milestone?

Maybe you’ve been “fine” – busy, productive, capable – but not really present?
Maybe you’ve felt the whisper of change… and you’re not sure what to do?

Transitions into a self-initiated next chapter often start this way – subtly. Not with a crash or a crisis, but with a quiet awareness that something needs to shift.

So this week, I invite you to pause, look inward, and connect with yourself. Breathe in this new season of possibility.

  • Notice what’s no longer lighting you up.
  • Notice what still brings you energy and joy.
  • Notice what’s missing.
  • Notice what you’re yearning for.
And here’s the good news:
You don’t need to know the entire plan for your Next Chapter in order to make a shift.

You don’t even need to know exactly what it’s going to look like (or whether it’s “possible”).

You only need to be willing to see – clearly and compassionately – what is.

This simple act of gentle self-observation begins to loosen old patterns, opens new possibilities, and creates space for the next version of you to emerge.

In fact, one of the biggest mistakes I see people make during times of change is believing that it’s only the external forces that need to change. They change their job, their relationship, their schedule… and then months later, BOO! they realize they’ve recreated the same situation they were trying to leave.

Different people, different surroundings, but the same issues.

Here’s the truth: Clarity doesn’t come from force.

And real, sustainable shifts don’t happen without clarity.

So how do we then create that missing clarity? From noticing what’s true right now –  and deciding, with intention, what you want to carry forward.

💡 A Resource for You:

To help you start, here’s a link to download my newly updated e-guide SHIFT: Strategies for Times of Change.

Inside, you’ll find tools and exercises I use with clients every day to help them pause, reflect, and uncover what their next chapter might look like. Give yourself 15 minutes this weekend to read through it. Then, hit reply to tell me what stood out to you (I read every word!)

Because your first “shift” doesn’t begin with doing more,

it begins with noticing differently.

To your success (and your next chapter),

Your Next Chapter Coach
Creator of The Career (Life!) Breakthrough Academy™