One of the most quietly profound things I’ve learned in therapy is that emotional awareness isn’t just about naming a feeling, it’s about understanding how that feeling exists in your body, shapes how you see yourself, and silently guides (or controls) your thoughts, actions and everyday choices. When we leave our emotions unnamed or unchecked, they don’t just disappear, they actually take the drivers seat in our life.

Fear, for example, is an emotion that wears a thousand disguises. It doesn’t always arrive as you may suspect (anxiety, dread, nerves)… sometimes it shows up in procrastination, perfectionism, or avoidance of something all together. More often than not, it’s the quiet voice that whispers to you … ‘you’re not ready, you’re not enough, you’re not that kind of person to do xyz’… these fear based narratives we have adopted along our journey are just that – stories we have internalised about our capacity to deal with discomfort, new experiences, or being seen.

As Brianna Wiest perfectly explains in The Mountain Is You (which by the way, I recommend to absolutely everyone), self-sabotaging behaviours like procrastination or avoidance are often just fear in disguise. We delay, avoid, or hold ourselves back not because we’re unmotivated by the thing itself, but because deep down something feels unsafe about change, visibility, or failure. Fear isn’t always loud. Sometimes, it sounds like “maybe later” or “maybe there’s something else I need to do first?” I feel attackeddd!!

For me, this has shown up in ways I didn’t even recognise as fear until much later, like endlessly putting off creative projects, the gym, making friends…convincing myself I’m not the ‘kind of person’ who could start a blog and be consistent, attend a workout class or be extroverted! Fear is not always apparent, it cleverly and quietly reroutes you, steering you into smaller, safer versions of yourself and your life.

Fear is a Wake Up Call

Moving to Brisbane, Australia has been one of the biggest wake up calls I have ever received, and not necessarily in the way moving abroad is depicted online. The first day I arrived here I cried and cried, I thought I had made a huge mistake and I was smacked in the face with reality that I needed to get comfortable being alone again. After moving back home from university and being surrounded by my comfort people, my family, my friends, my home, my dogs… leaving again was like ripping off a band-aid I didn’t know there was a wound under to begin with. I realised that prior to moving to Australia, I had been doing so much of the quiet work of therapy, work and studying that there wasn’t much room for self-expression, creativity or dating myself! I had to begin again in my move here and rediscover my confidence.  

One of the hardest parts of this process was coming face-to-face with a version of myself that was terrified of being seen. Not just physically, but creatively, emotionally, spiritually. And whilst this move has brought me the kind of peace and space I didn’t know I needed (the type that can only come when there are no deadlines hanging over you) it’s also pushed me far outside the lines of my comfort zone and I have become more accustomed to discomfort and solitude.

Kindred Impact has forced me to confront those internal narratives head-on. Every blog post, every piece of content, is me choosing to step outside of that old, familiar fear and into a version of myself that I’m still learning to believe in…one that is brave enough to show up imperfectly, but wholeheartedly. I really do hope that these words do bring some people comfort, because truthfully, we all carry stories that hold us back and sometimes, all it takes is hearing someone else’s to start rewriting our own. I am tired of living in a society where everyone acts like they’ve got their shit together constantly, because we all know that’s just not true!

Facing Fear on Purpose
Since launching Kindred Impact, I’ve realised how much fear still shows up in the creative process. From overthinking my posts to worrying about how my work will be received,  I’m in a constant flux of rewriting the limiting stories I tell myself.

But I’ve also had those moments of clarity. Like wait… maybe I am actually good at this? Maybe all the years I spent creating visual and emotional content, that wasn’t random. Maybe this is something I should actually take seriously. Maybe it doesn’t have to be polished and perfect to be valuable…and that shift from “I’m not ready” to “maybe I already am, and always have been” is what freedom has started to look like for me personally.

Transforming Fear into Freedom
Transforming fear into freedom doesn’t mean becoming fearless. It means doing the thing whilst afraid. It means reminding yourself that you’re allowed to exist outside of other people’s expectations. Here’s what’s been helping me:

Recognising my patterns and reflecting on them through journaling
When I notice myself spiralling or avoiding, I actively question the voice in my head and where it is coming from. One of my favourite ways to do this is through journaling, especially outside in a park/nature.

• Redefining success for ME!
  Posting one blog a week might not seem like a big deal, but for someone who used to keep everything private it’s huge. The fact that I am actively pushing beyond my comfort zone and being consistent is incredible.  
• Celebrating the day to day accomplishments
  From sending emails for collabs, starting marketing courses, to posting something imperfect, I’m learning to enjoy the journey and the process of becoming.
• Just Keep Moving  
  Fear will always be there, especially when you care about something deeply. But freedom comes when you stop waiting for it to disappear and start moving despite it.

Whether it’s starting that project, saying what you want to say to someone, or letting yourself be seen, this is your reminder that your fear isn’t proof you’re on the wrong path. It’s often the clearest signal that you’re growing!! & I truly believe we all deserve to live lives that feel authentically our own…perhaps the move you’re most scared to make will be the one that changes everything for you?

So, what do your fear narratives tell you, and what’s one way you can change that story this week Let’s talk in the comments!

Megs xx