Fear has a very concrete power of keeping us from doing and saying the things that are our purpose.

Luvvie Ajayi

In her popular 2017 TED Talk “Get Comfortable With Being Uncomfortable,” bestselling author, speaker, and podcast host Luvvie Ajayi pointed out the undeniable power of fear. That powerful force can wind up controlling our actions — or inaction, as is often the case. But Ajayi encouraged her audience to use it as a motivator. “I'm not going to let fear dictate what I do,” she said. “Anything that scares me, I'm going to actively pursue it.” Feeling afraid doesn’t have to be a warning sign of what to avoid; instead, it can act as a beacon, lighting a path for us to push outside our comfort zone, which is the only way to grow.