In the latest episode of “Own Your Awesome,” Miranda Von Frickin dives deep into the nuances of fear and how it can hinder us from achieving our full potential. Through relatable insights and actionable advice, she explores ways to conquer our fears and truly own our awesome. Here’s a comprehensive look at her thoughts and strategies to help you embrace your inner strength and live your best life.

Introduction: Facing the Fear of Owning Your Awesome

Fear is a universal emotion that can impede our progress and dull our shine. Miranda kicks off the episode by acknowledging that fear comes in many forms—whether it’s about owning our capabilities or simply asking for help. It’s vital to recognize that fear can hold us back from expressing our true selves and attaining our goals. But what if we could reframe fear and use it to our advantage?

Fear is Just a Feeling, Not a Fact

One of the most profound insights Miranda shares is that fear is simply a feeling, not a fact. Feelings, although powerful, are not rooted in reality—they are data that can help us assess situations but shouldn’t dictate our actions. Miranda likens fear to imposter syndrome, noting that both are feelings that can be managed and overcome. Recognize that fear is not a valid map of your life but rather a temporary state that can be navigated.

Viewing Fear as a Bridge

Miranda introduces the concept of fear as a bridge—a gap between where we are and where we want to be. Just like driving over a physical bridge, there might be apprehensions, but focusing on our goals can help us traverse these mental gaps. Fear can be an opportunity to grow, learn, and ultimately make strides toward our aspirations.

Conquering Obstacles with Resilience

Obstacles are inevitable, but they don’t have to halt our journey. Miranda compares life’s challenges to an obstacle course, where preparation and resilience are key. Instead of being paralyzed by fear, we can view these barriers as chances to strengthen our resolve. Whether it’s a business hurdle or a personal setback, facing and overcoming obstacles head-on builds resilience and brings us closer to our goals.

Reassuring the Scared Version of You

Fear often triggers a need for reassurance, much like how children are calmed when afraid of the dark. Miranda emphasizes the importance of self-reassurance, drawing parallels between soothing a child’s fears and addressing our own. We all have a stronger, more confident version of ourselves that can reassure and guide us through moments of doubt. Tapping into this inner strength can help us navigate fear and uncertainty.

Repurposing Fear as Fuel

Everything in life is energy, and fear is no exception. Miranda encourages us to repurpose the energy from fear into fuel for our ambitions. Transforming fear into a driving force can propel us forward, turning anxiety into actionable steps toward our goals. Embrace fear as a source of motivation, using it to power your journey rather than letting it stagnate your progress.

Changing the Old Stories of Fear

Often, fear is rooted in old, outdated stories we tell ourselves—narratives that hinder our growth and limit our potential. Whether it’s believing you’re not good with technology or thinking you’re no longer an athlete, these stories need to be rewritten. Miranda shares personal anecdotes to illustrate how changing these narratives can unlock new possibilities. By seeking out resources and changing our internal dialogue, we can dismantle these limiting beliefs.

Faith: Your Ultimate Safety Net

Finally, Miranda touches on the idea of fear as a false safety net. Many of us cling to fear out of a misplaced sense of security, but true safety lies in our faith, skills, and support systems. Miranda highlights faith, particularly her faith in Jesus, as the ultimate safety net that provides courage and stability. Embracing faith allows us to trust in our path and empowers us to take bold steps forward.

Conclusion: Own Your Awesome by Overcoming Fear

Miranda’s insights remind us that owning our awesome is about recognizing fear, understanding its impact, and actively working to overcome it. Whether through faith, strategy, or sheer determination, we can turn fear from a hindrance into a powerful catalyst for growth. By embracing these strategies, we can step into our full potential and truly own our awesome, creating a brighter and more fulfilling future.

Final Thoughts

Fear will always exist, but how we handle it determines our path. Take the lessons shared by Miranda to heart and start harnessing fear as a tool for personal growth and transformation. Because the world needs your awesome, and it’s time for you to shine brightly.

Transcript:

Miranda [00:00:01]:
Hello. Hello. Welcome to own your awesome, the podcast. I’m your host, Miranda Von Frickin. I’m so excited that you’re here again. Today, we’re gonna be talking about the fear that comes along with owning your awesome. If you follow me on LinkedIn at all, you know that I do a 15 minutes of faith with one of my favorite people, Kelly Tyan. We do every Tuesday at 11:15 EST, and we hop on there and talk about things that we dive deep into our faith in order to overcome or to progress forward.

Miranda [00:00:44]:
And last week, I talked about it was a solo episode, and I talked about faith over fear. And now I told you I’ll be talking about faith on this podcast, so I’m giving it to you here. I wanna talk about what it means to own your awesome. However, acknowledge the fact that there’s going to be some fear when it comes to doing that, whether it’s the owning part or the awesome part, either way, there’s gonna be a little fear. And I’ve got some tips and tricks for you to really overcome it. And, of course, a Bible verse or 2 because that’s how I roll. So my question for you right now is going to be, what is fear holding you back from? Is it the owning your awesome part? Is it the knowing part? Is there something specific like asking for a promotion at work, starting a business, starting a podcast, you know, taping in that leap of faith, asking someone for help, picking up the phone, whatever it may be. Fear is always holding us back from something.

Miranda [00:01:57]:
And that that us allowing that to happen is hurting our abilities to truly own our awesome, and I just can’t have it anymore. So we often hear fear is a liar, and I believe it. I’m here for that. However, fears a few other things too that I’d like to talk about. The first and foremost for me is that fear is really just a feeling. Right? And my good friend Nancy Madoff will talk about imposter syndrome and she talks about how that is a feeling And there’s so many ways to overcome feelings because feelings are not facts. I feel the exact same way about fear. It’s not a fact.

Miranda [00:02:41]:
It’s a feeling. Feelings can be data that we collect in order to assess the situation and make decisions, but it’s by no means the map to settling. Right? So we’re no longer settling. We’re no longer sitting in the dark and not allowing our awesome to shine in the most authentic way, in the way that, honestly, God put on our heart and put us here on earth in order to do. So fear is a feeling. We all know that feelings are not facts. So what can a feeling what can this fear be, in order to help us put it in, like, logistic terms as opposed to these wishy washy feeling terms. So for me, I like to look at fear as a potential bridge.

Miranda [00:03:34]:
Right? It’s a bridge that we can cross. Right? That it’s a bridge that’s kind of in between where we are and where we wanna be. And we’ve driven over bridges in our vehicles before, and some people are super afraid to drive over bridges. And some people get a little queasy and nervous, and some people are like, whatever. I love bridges. Let’s go. Blah blah blah. I love being over water.

Miranda [00:03:59]:
I love all things water. So I try to focus on the water when we’re driving across the bridge because there’s a little bit of fear of driving over a bridge. Right? Not so much that it’s gonna give out, but that there’ll be like a crazy driver. So for me, there’s a little bit of fear, but what I do is focus on the thing that I enjoy. Right? So if we’re looking at fear as a potential bridge, we just gotta get over that bridge. Right? We just gotta get over that hump. What what is the thing that we’re fearful of? And my example with the bridge and crazy drivers, well, I got my seat belt on, so that’s gonna help me. I’m in the right lane.

Miranda [00:04:35]:
That’s That’s gonna help me even more and I’m just gonna look forward. I’m gonna be aware of my surroundings. I’m gonna look forward. I’m gonna look at my rear view every once in a blue moon to make sure no one’s getting too close to me. I’m gonna drive as cautiously as possible so I can be completely safe to get me over this bridge. It does not mean I’m not gonna cross the bridge or even find a super long route around it that’s gonna waste a bunch of my time. I still wanna get to where I’m going. So I’m gonna look at the things that I can do, control what I can control, and get over that damn bridge.

Miranda [00:05:09]:
So feelings can be a bridge that we just need to cross. It could be an obstacle that we need to go around or maybe go over or under or through. I mean, we can go through obstacles. Right? There’s no reason that an obstacle, such as the feeling of fear, should really stop us in our tracks. It can pause us for a second until we find a solution or a resource, but obstacles don’t need to stop us. Think of an obstacle course on a race. I’ve done a few Tough Mudder’s in my life, and the whole thing is obstacles. The obstacles are actually meant to make you stronger to enjoy the experience.

Miranda [00:05:48]:
You prepare for these obstacles. Right? We can’t always prepare for an obstacle, but especially in life and business, but there are some we can prepare for. So are you preparing for this feeling of fear? Are you preparing for what’s ahead of you that you could maybe stumble upon as an obstacle? And then how are you gonna get around it or through it? So fear as a feeling can be a bridge, can be an obstacle, but it can also be a version of you that needs reassurance. Think about our kids, if you have kids or little ones in general. They come into your room at night and tell you they’re afraid of the dark. Well, it happens. Right? So what are they afraid of? Well, they’re afraid of things they can’t see. Their imagination told them something or maybe something they heard at school or something.

Miranda [00:06:34]:
So what we need to do is reassure that little one that it’s just a feeling and that we can also show them, we can be a resource for them, that what they feel is an effect because I’m gonna turn on the light. We’re gonna assess the room. I’m gonna point out to things that they think are monsters, and I’m gonna show them they’re not. Right? So it’s a version of us that needs reassurance. Just like we’re gonna reassure that little one, we have to do the same to ourselves. Right? So there’s a version of us that’s scared, but there’s also a version of us that’s a badass and has no intentions of not achieving our goals. So that version needs to tell the scared version all the ways it’s gonna be okay and that we are gonna prepare for what’s to come. We’re gonna take one step at a time and we’re gonna conquer it.

Miranda [00:07:23]:
We’re gonna do the thing because fear is not gonna hold us back. So fear is a feeling. Fear is also an energy, and you know what we use energy for? Fuel. So take that energy, repurpose it up in a pretty package, and use it as fuel in your race car to get to where you’re going. Right? So take that energy that because everything’s an energy, so why not have fear be an energy and just repurpose it. Right? Refurbish it and use it to our advantage to progress forward. Oh, I feel a little fearful or nervous about this situation. You know what? I’m gonna take a deep breath.

Miranda [00:08:03]:
I’m gonna repurpose fear into fuel, and I’m gonna go. I’m just gonna move forward, go right through the obstacle. Right? Fear is also an old story that we have in our heads. I’ve learned this the hard way. Right? Like, so for me, starting this podcast, you you if you’ve been listening, you know that the tech held me back for years, which is obnoxious, but it happens. Right? So the old story is I’m not good with tech. Right? The old story is tech isn’t my jam. Right? So I’m more about the energy, the talking, the feeling.

Miranda [00:08:35]:
Someone else has to do the tech. Maybe I can’t afford the tech. Right? So the old story was I’m not good at tech. Well, guess what? I found somebody to negate that story. Right? Whether it’s myself saying, no. I wouldn’t believe, a repurposing of this story to say, no, girl. You’re actually really good at tech. Here’s 4 things that you use that you’re good at.

Miranda [00:08:55]:
Although, in my corporate life, I was the go to for our systems. So I know I have the ability. However, I never wanna dive into tech. It just drives me nuts. It’s not my jam. So what I did instead was find someone to say to me, tech isn’t the problem. This is so easy. You go to this website, you use your voice memos, you click some buttons, bam, you got a podcast, and here I am.

Miranda [00:09:19]:
So what I did was take the old story and I I got rid of it by finding a new author, by finding somebody else, a resource. And by this resource, if you may have heard, it was my it was a coach that I worked with who told me that holding back my awesome, my version of awesome, by doing this podcast was not serving anyone and the tech was not the problem because do this, do this, do this. And I was like, wow. Thank you. I had no idea that she would have been the one to tell me that. However, investing in myself and opening myself up to the conversation of really wanting to do a podcast led to the resource. So change the old story, whatever it is. I have another old story of me used to being an athlete.

Miranda [00:10:09]:
That’s something I’m gonna kick to the curb real soon. I’m working on it, friends. I have a goal. It’s not the Tough Mudder. I’ve already done that twice, and I love it. But I have other goals for myself physically. And the old story is I used to be an athlete, which means I’m no longer an athlete, which is bull crap. So an athlete, I feel like, stays an athlete forever.

Miranda [00:10:31]:
You don’t just change who you are. Right? So what I need to do is change a few little things along the way to get me back to where I’m going. I need to change that old story. Fear is an old story. We need to change. Fear is also a safety net. That’s something I learned often, especially after 4 layoffs in the corporate world. That fear became my safety net, so to speak.

Miranda [00:10:55]:
So after my first layoff, the second job the next job that I got, because I was so afraid of losing that job again, that 6 figure salary, the 401 k, and the the 4 the obviously, the 401 k. The, PTO. Oh my goodness. I almost forgot the word because I don’t use it anymore. The PT like, losing all of those things, I was so afraid to lose those things that I ended up going hard in the business or in their business and dropping all of my things, dropping my side hustles, dropping my coaching, dropping my the amount of times I speak on stages, because I was so scared to lose the steady income that I let fear cause me to make this 9 to 5 my safety net. So fear became a safety net for me, but it did not make me safe whatsoever because I got laid off again and then 2 more times after that. But you know what is a safety net? A real safety net? Our education, our years of experience and expertise. Our heart is a safety net, our savings account, if you have 1, and the people in our life that will pick us up when we fall.

Miranda [00:12:10]:
We have multiple safety nets. Fear does not have to be 1. And you know what the biggest safety net is? Is our faith. Jesus is my biggest safety net. So I’m just saying. That’s what fear is. Right? So fear is a feeling. It’s an energy.

Miranda [00:12:28]:
It’s an old story. It’s a safety net. What fear is not is a map. It may give us a little hint that something’s off. Right? A little twinge in our belly that says, like, oh, oh, maybe that’s a dark alley. I shouldn’t go down. Maybe I’m gonna trust that twinge. Right? But when we’re embarking on something that we are called to do, whether it’s write a book, quit our job and get a new one, start a new, in a new industry, invest in a coach or go back to school.

Miranda [00:13:02]:
Right? Starting a podcast, writing a book, picking up the phone and calling somebody. Oh, my gosh. Like, these things these are the things we’re called to do that are meant for us because they’re still on our hearts. They wouldn’t be on our hearts if they weren’t meant for us. So I like to ask, of course, what is this costing you? Right? What is allowing fear to stop us from doing the thing costing us right now in this moment? And then think, what is it gonna cost us if we keep letting it hold us back for the next 2 years, 3 years, 5 years, 10 years? I mean, that’s dramatic. Right? I like to think in the here and now. But if I think in the near future, those things can really compound, good or bad. Hopefully, this this podcast that I did and I stepped into fear and did the thing anyway hopefully, this podcast continues and turns into something magical.

Miranda [00:14:03]:
It drives business. It drives, you know, followers, and it it drives conversation, and it drives people to transformation. Can you imagine this is only my 3rd episode. Can you imagine in a a year from now, in 2 years from now, if I’m still owning my awesome, which, girl, you know I am, if I’m still doing this, owning my awesome and helping women every single day, or, actually, it’s every single week, to do the same thing through this podcast, what would the world look like in the next 2 years? Oh my gosh. It’d be amazing. In the reverse, what would the world look like if I didn’t do this? If I didn’t come to you every single week with what’s on my heart to tell you that you have every right to step into and own your awesome. It’d be a little darker and nobody likes dark, except for my black shirts. I do love those.

Miranda [00:14:58]:
So what is fear stopping you from doing? Is it owning your awesome? Is it something more specific? Right? Like saying yes to something, using your voice, posting on LinkedIn, starting a rebrand, a personal branding, experience. Like, what is really What are you allowing fear to take away from you? If you ask yourself that question, you can go down a rabbit hole in your thoughts. Right? And then why? Why are you doing that? Right? Why are you allowing fear to consume you? Why aren’t you facing it head on, barreling through the obstacle, crossing over that bridge, or repurposing that story to your advantage? Why aren’t you using it as energy to move forward? Because when you do that, that’s when you truly start to own your awesome. Thank you, friends, so much for joining me in this 3rd episode of Own Your Awesome, where we are tackling faith over fear. We’re tackling fear, but we’re using faith and strategy to overcome it. Because when we use both our faith and our strategy to move forward, anything is possible, especially owning your awesome. Thank you so much. Have an awesome day.