Embracing the Unknown: Transforming Fear into Opportunities for Growth

Are you ready to step out of your comfort zone and into a world of endless possibilities? In our latest episode of "Have a Cup of Johanny," we explore the often daunting yet transformative journey of releasing the fear of the unknown. Join me, Joa, as I share my personal stories of facing the intimidating shadows of uncertainty—from launching new projects to taking the brave step of republishing my work. These moments of dread, although unsettling, have ultimately opened doors to growth and self-discovery. Let’s uncover why our minds are wired to conjure worst-case scenarios and how we can shift our perspective to embrace uncertainty as a playground for expansion and opportunity.

Imagine walking into a dark room, unsure of what lies ahead. Does it invoke fear, or does it spark curiosity? Together, we'll redefine this fear as not a barrier but a gateway to incredible experiences beyond our imagination. By daring to venture beyond the familiar, into the dark spots outside our lighted circle, we activate our potential and step into a dynamic growing and learning zone. As the new year approaches, it’s the perfect time to say goodbye to fear and hello to the uncharted territories that promise magic and transformation. Grab your cup, and let's toast to the adventures waiting in the unknown.

Transcript

Speaker 1: 0:00

Oh we could, we could fly. Welcome to this new season of the have a Cup of Johani podcast. So I want to title this new season that I'm embarking on with I'm growing, so this is going to be the season of growth and that's what I'm going to share with you throughout the season. So I thank you for coming over here and sitting with me and I hope you enjoy Hola vasitos, and welcome back to have a Cup of Johnny podcast.

Speaker 1: 0:31

I am Joa and on this very special day, we are continuing our Letting Go series with a topic that's both universal and deeply personal, and that is letting go of the fear of the unknown. And let's be honest, stepping into the unknown can feel terrifying. It's like walking into a dark room without knowing where the light switch is. I've been there plenty of times. Our minds spiral especially if you've been watching a lot of scary movies, like me, and you're going to be imagining every possible thing that could go wrong. But here's the thing the unknown is where growth, transformation and magic happens, and with a new year just around the corner, there's no better time to talk about releasing that fear and embracing the opportunities that uncertainty can bring. So grab your cup, pasitos, and let's get into how we can start saying goodbye to fear and say hello possibility. Are you ready? Of course you are. Why else would you be here?

Speaker 1: 1:57

Let's talk about why the unknown is so scary. I've been saying this quite a long time, but, as humans, we crave certainty. Certainty gives us comfort, and we like that because we know what's ahead. Therefore, we're going to survive. We're not going to die of a violent and unexpected death, so we like to know what's coming next, what to expect and how we can prepare, because we gain control from that. When we have uncertainty, though, our brains often fill in the gaps, and they fill it in with the worst case scenarios, and not just because I'm a worst case scenario girly, it happens to everyone. It's our survival instinct. Our minds are trying to protect us from potential harm, but the truth is, most of the time, the unknown isn't as dangerous as our fears make it out to be. In fact, it's often the space where we discover our greatest potential, because it challenges us to expand. Think about it Every big change, every new opportunity starts with stepping into the unknown.

Speaker 1: 3:18

For me, the fear of the unknown has shown up in so many ways. Known has shown up in so many ways Starting new projects, moving to new places, going on another assignment and even putting my writing out into the world, more recently, republishing the Ordinary Bruja. Oh my God, you don't understand. And that's the thing. No one will see that, because all they see is the video that I posted and the narration that I did, but they will not see the uncomfortableness that occur behind the scene, because I was so fearful of what would happen next, of the unknown that I wasn't aware of. I would ask myself what if I fail? What if people don't like it? What if I regret this decision? Why, if I regret, like publishing it? You know, does that sound familiar or is it just me? You got to tell me. But if you ever felt this way, once again you are not alone. But here's the good news, though, and that is that fear doesn't have to hold you back.

Speaker 1: 4:29

Here's a perspective shift that changed everything for me. Instead of seeing the unknown as a threat, I started seeing it as an opportunity. Think about it when we stay in that comfort zone, we're staying there, we're limiting ourselves, we're not going anywhere else, but when we step out of that circle into the unknown, we just expanded our reach. Now we're in the growing and learning zone growing and learning zone and this is where we have the possibility of experiencing things that we never imagined, because it has always been out of our reach, as long as we stay in that lighted circle kind of like where the spotlight is right. We know that circle very well. The spotlight is on it, we know everything that is in there. All around that circle is just darkness. The light doesn't reach it, so we don't know what's over there. But when we step outside of that, sometimes we don't know that perhaps the spotlight is going to follow us, or sometimes we don't know that perhaps our eyes will get adjusted and then we will start to be able to see certain things that are in there, or that we may be able to get a flashlight, because there's a flashlight there waiting for us, you see. But it's like all these possibilities that we don't know anything about but could very well be on the other side of that comforting circle that could just be super exciting and could be the catalyst to expanding our lives, to expanding our lives.

Speaker 1: 6:31

So I think if we shift our mindset from the unknown is scary and is fearful to the unknown is something to embrace, is something to experience, is something to investigate. If you need to like reframe it, to look at it as if you're investigating something new. That's a great mindset to have to be curious about it and experiment with it, you see, because then that will keep you away from fear, because now you're seeing that not as something that you should be scared of, but as something that you can find out more. So, if you're ready to release that fear of the unknown and come into this new year confident, let me tell you some of the things that I do, with the caveat that this works for me and you listen to it and then you tailor it to you. Okay, so the first thing I'm going to tell you again is to acknowledge that you have the fear. That will always be the first thing.

Speaker 1: 7:36

Every problem that one has, we have to identify it first. We have to identify the right problem in order to find the right solution for that problem, because if we don't, then what are we solving? So first I admitted that I was scared, that that's what I was feeling. It was fear of the unknown. It was fear of what would happen next, because I can't predict it. And then I ask myself what am I really afraid of?

Speaker 1: 8:11

And one thing that I like to ask myself is what is the worst case scenario in this one? What is the worst thing that could happen? And depending on that answer, I sometimes like analyze that and then tell myself, well, you can handle that If that is the worst thing. If the worst thing is a troll jumping on my comments saying something stupid, I can handle that if that's the worst thing. And if the worst thing is something else, then I go deeper into that and see, like, how realistic is it for that worst case scenario to happen? And if it is really realistic, do I have some mitigation in place to lessen the blow?

Speaker 1: 8:55

But all of this happens with acknowledging that there is a fear there and then asking those questions to myself to dig deeper into it. And then from there I go ahead and reframe that and I asked myself what if this turns out better than I imagined? Because we all know that the unknown is where expansion can happen, magic can happen, and a good trick that I found in resiliency training is something that is called, put it in perspective, pip, and that is where you have this fear, this thing that you're very afraid of, and then you ask yourself what is the worst, very, very worst case scenario and what is the most ridiculous best case scenario? And then you write those down and then you come to the conclusion that in reality, what most likely would happen is somewhere in the middle. And that's how you can put certain fears in perspective that you may have.

Speaker 1: 10:04

And at one point, if you do this often enough, you may not even need paper and pen or pencil and paper to do it, because you can do that in your brain. But I always suggest that people write it down because it's just, it's tangible, it's in front of you and you can just look at it and really see for yourself how that fear is not as big as you have made it out to be in your mind, have made it out to be in your mind. And then after that you take small steps so that way you can move forward, because now you have found out that you do have a fear, you have found out that you can manage the outcome of what may happen, or you have understood that it's not so bad after all, what will really happen, what's more realistic, and now you can go ahead and make those steps. Now I can go ahead and start going on Canva and putting together the first scene for the ordinary bruja. And then after that and I go into the next step, I focus on what I can control. And when you have stepped into the unknown and embrace it and made those steps into that dark place that you didn't know anything about, you got to celebrate, you got to take into consideration that you acted bravely. You step into the unknown, you acknowledge your fear, you assessed it, you assess what may have happened, you made some mitigation strategies. Or you say you assess what may have happened, you made some mitigation strategies, or you say you know what I can handle, that it's not so bad. You went ahead and made the first step, you made that goal happen and of course now you got to celebrate and that will keep you going.

Speaker 1: 12:16

But letting go of fear of the unknown isn't about erasing your fear. Nothing in here is going to take that away. Nothing, nothing, nothing at all. But it's about moving forward with it. I will always be fearful of what would happen next, of what I have no control over, but it's about trusting myself that even if things don't go as planned, I'll figure it out, just like I've done it before. That's why I always say like, I'll figure it out and I'll do it again. And once again, if I make a mistake, I learn from it. It won't be the end of the world, but remember the unknown is where the magic happens. It's where you're going to find your strength, your courage and your next adventure.

Speaker 1: 13:12

So, vacitos, as we approach the new year, I encourage you to reflect on where the fear of the unknown might be holding you back. Look into it, ask yourself what's one step you can take to move forward. And thank you for joining me today on this episode of have a Cup of Johnny podcast. And if this resonated with you, share it with someone who might need a little extra courage as they step into the new year. Don't forget to subscribe for more episodes to help you let go of what's holding you back and embrace what's ahead. And until next time I think we're going to see each other in the new years, but until then, embrace the unknown and remember you are way braver than you think. Talk to you next time. Bye, thank you so much for listening. I want to hear from you. Leave me a comment, do a rating if you can on the podcast. Share it with somebody you love, but most importantly, come back. See you next time. Bye.