APADIA 4: “Stressed Is the Achiever Word for Fear”

I’m one of Those People who sometimes get advice from Instagram. I know. Eye roll emoji. But today I saw one that I really did think was worth grabbing (as cheesy and ‘basic’ as you might think such a practice might be) from the awesome Emily McDowell:

“Stressed is the achiever word for fear” – Tony Robbins

Yes.

So many people act as though they’re unafraid. As if being unafraid is a badge of honor. As if it’s admirable to be unafraid… and therefore shameful to be afraid?

I disagree. Probably because I’d never classify myself as daring. Confrontational. Unafraid. I own a shirt that says “highly aggressive.” As a joke. I snort every time I pull it off the shelf.

Some days it feels like I spend more minutes scared and reactive – afraid and “stressed” – than otherwise. I’m not proud of that. But I’m not ashamed of it either. What I want is to own it. Not to be proud of being fearless, but to be proud of overcoming fear.

To me, words like “stressed” and “busy” don’t say “important” and “sought-after,” the way that I think they’re often intended. To me, I find that all too often, they say things like, “I can’t manage my life” or “I’ve forgotten gratitude.”

I never thought about stress as a manifestation of fear before. It makes so much sense, though. In many ways, aren’t they both just synonyms for anxiety? And, either way, they’re the opposite of peace.