What’s the one big thing that holds us back from living up to our full potential? Fear.

It is not the only thing, of course; ill health, lack of resources, toxic work culture, to name a few, hold us back as well. But for most of us, nothing tops fear: fear of failure, fear of society, fear of rejection. Fear numbs and paralyzes us. Fear stops us from taking action. Fear drains us of energy and initiative. And in the extreme scenario, while we are searching for answers, fear does not even register in our awareness!

If we wish to live up to our potential there is no way around our fears: we must take them head-on, talk to them, have a dialog, and then decide if the room they take up in our minds is justified. Sometimes we are aware of our fears, but often they remain hidden in the layers of our minds and need to be wrung out. Identifying them is the first step, and a reliable way to get there is through introspection and questioning.

But for most of us, nothing tops fear: fear of failure, fear of society, fear of rejection. Fear numbs and paralyzes us. Fear stops us from taking action. Fear drains us of energy and initiative.

We begin our introspection by taking a pause and looking within. We delve into battles past, recall our victories and our defeats, and examine what roles fear played, and how we handled fear. We question our worldview, our place in this world, our biases, and our habits. We ask the hard questions, questions that make us uncomfortable, questions that we would rather give away our firstborn than answer. And we answer as objectively as we can, without rationalization, without defense, and in the answers will be identified our fears, ones we know, and, if we are fortunate enough, ones that we were not aware of.

Our questions might yield simple answers. Or, they might shake up our core, reveal our true selves, and guide us to change in profound ways. Either way, once the fears are identified we take baby steps to break them, and with each step that we take, the fears recede and we emerge stronger.

My own introspection has revealed my many fears, big and small. As a photographer, my biggest fear — and I suspect every photographer has this fear — is that my images are dull and uninspiring. Unfortunately, there exist no “inject life” filters that could breathe life into images and, therefore, the only option I am left with is to talk to that fear and go make images. My approach is to apply lessons learned, to visualize more, and to be present. So, as I am making the images I remind myself to not worry about the results but, instead, to focus on the moment. The internal dialog calms me down, keeps fear at bay, and allows me to pour all my energies into making the images.

Our questions might yield simple answers. Or, they might shake up our core, reveal our true selves, and guide us to change in profound ways. Either way, once the fears are identified we take baby steps to break them, and with each step that we take, the fears recede and we emerge stronger.

It is unlikely that I will ever be free from my fears, but having identified them, I am able talk to them when they rear their heads, and know that I am in control. As long as the fears do not overwhelm, I come out ahead! And that is all that matters.

Go ahead, give it a try. Talk to your fears today! You might benefit too.